Working Girls
by angellwings
Summary: The lives of personal assistant Caitlyn, songwriter Mitchie, and shopgirl Ella collide in a story about love, friendship, and a few little white lies. AU. Smitchie. Natella. Jaitlyn.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So I have been working on this story for months now. As a warning it's an AU. My basic idea was where would everyone be if Brown had never started Camp? How would they meet? What would their friendships and careers be like? And this is what I came up with. I've been working really hard on this story and right now I'm on chapter 21 and _still_ not finished. This is gonna be a long one folks. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Happy reading!

angellwings**  
**

* * *

**Working Girls**

* * *

_Chapter One_

* * *

A high pitched whine sounded as an Indiana Jones alarm clock blared the well known score and a hand suddenly shot out and knocked it to the floor.

"Ugh, not even a cool alarm clock is worth this."

Pedicured feet hit the floor and the shower was started not long after that. Half an hour later the young woman stepped out of the shower with skin tinted pink from the hot water and hands that were long past pruney. She dropped the towel and quickly found a strapless bra, camisole, and a black slip to wear while she put on her makeup and dried her hair.

Her phone rang and the woman rushed to her bedside table to answer it.

"Caitlyn Gellar speaking."

"Caity, are you up?"

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yes, Jase. I'm up. How long are you going to keep up this wake up call tradition?"

"As long as I think you need it," He told her with an audible grin.

Jason Gray was her best friend and one of her employer's clients. Well, actually he was her employer's nephew too. He was one third of Connect Three, A band of instrument playing, song writing, incredibly attractive brothers. They were also the nephews of manager and former Wet Crows lead guitarist, Brown Cesario, who Caitlyn worked for. _She_ was Brown Cesario's executive assistant.

"Fine, well, I'm up," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "I'm going to stop and get the usual and then I'll be on my way to work. Any special requests?"

"You think Connie will have any funnel cakes ready yet?" Jason asked.

"Funnel cake? For breakfast? Really, Jase?" Caitlyn asked with a smirk.

"What? Connie's funnel cakes are the best."

"Fine, but I'm buying you a fruit cup to go with it, and you're splitting the funnel cake with me," Caitlyn told him.

She heard him sigh before he answered. "Deal."

"Okay, I'm going to finish getting ready now, but I'll see you in a bit."

"Do you need a ride?" Jason asked before she hung up.

"You don't have to. I have a bus pass for a reason—"

"I can come and pick you up. No problem."

"Then great! I would love a ride," Caitlyn said brightly. "I'll be ready in about half an hour."

"I'm leaving now anyway. I need to get ahead of the traffic," Jason told her. "Bye, Caity."

"Bye, Jase," Caitlyn said with a smile as she hung up. She quickly finished her hair and her makeup and threw on a pencil skirt, a white v-neck shirt, and a black vest.

She went through her shoes and jewelry. Her outfit was rather plain today so she needed accessories that stood out. Studded black heels, a robot necklace, a rope bracelet, and a couple of funky rings did the trick. She quickly dumped her purse into a bright yellow Kate Spade tote that had been a freebie at an event Brown made her go to. She checked the time on her iPhone, and just as she unlocked it Jason called. That half hour went by very fast.

She didn't bother answering instead she headed out of her apartment door and down the stairs. Jason was parallel parked by the sidewalk in front of Connie's Café and Bakery which was directly across the street from her apartment. Caitlyn looked both ways and walked briskly across. She opened up Jason's passenger side door and grinned at him.

"Hello."

"Hey," he said. "I would've ordered but I don't remember how Uncle Brown likes his coffee."

Caitlyn chuckled and set her bag down in the floorboard of his car. "No problem. I'll run in. Connie should be expecting me anyway."

She turned and went inside the little shop. It was mostly an order out place, but there were a few small round tables outside on a tiny patio. There were four booths on the inside and a small bar with three stools. Connie's Café and Bakery was a fairly popular lunch spot in this neighborhood, and Caitlyn was a regular. She came in every morning to order for herself, Brown, and Jason. Jason's youngest brother, Nate, didn't drink coffee, and the middle brother, Shane, _only_ drank Starbucks coffee. So, Caitlyn never ordered anything for them.

Caitlyn approached the cash register and a middle aged brunette woman looked up happily. "Caitlyn! I've been expecting you."

Connie placed a bag and a cardboard cup holder with three cups of coffee on the counter in front of Caitlyn.

"Your usual," She said with a grin.

"Thank you, Mrs. Torres," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "Can I get a couple of fruit cups and a funnel cake too?"

"A funnel cake? At 7:45 in the morning?" Connie asked in amusement.

"Jason has a craving."

Connie laughed. "I see, and you can't let your young man down, can you?"

Caitlyn blushed and glanced out the window at Jason's car. "He's not _my_ young man."

"But you want him to be, and take it from a woman who knows…the quickest way to a man's heart _truly is_ through his stomach," Connie said with a smile. "So, yes I will make you that funnel cake, and the fruit cups are in the fridge in the corner."

"How much do I owe you?" Caitlyn asked.

"Just the usual ten," Connie answered as she poured the batter in the oil for a funnel cake. "Do you want powdered sugar or jam on this funnel cake?"

"Powdered sugar. Jason's not big on jam. Are you sure I don't owe you any extra, Mrs. Torres?"

"Oh please," Connie said as she flipped the funnel cake. "You're my best customer. The fruit cups and cake are on the house. "

Caitlyn handed Connie a ten, and then went to grab the fruit cups while Connie put the funnel cake in wax paper. Caitlyn put the fruit cups in the paper bag and Connie placed the wrapped funnel cake in a pink box.

"There you go, you're all set," Connie said cheerfully.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Torres," Caitlyn said. "You're the best."

"You wouldn't want to tell my daughter that, would you?" Connie asked with a wink. "Just kidding. You work too hard, Caitlyn. _Someone_ has to pamper _you_ on occasion, and since you love my food so much it might as well be me."

Caitlyn smiled at her and blushed. "Thanks."

"No problem. You'll be back after work to pick up your quiche for that dinner with the Grays, won't you?" Connie asked.

Caitlyn nodded. "Yes. I raved to Mrs. Gray about your quiches. She's expecting one now, and I'll have to come back here to change."

"Alright then, I'll have it ready and waiting," Connie told her. "Now go on, don't make that boy wait too long."

Caitlyn struggled to pick up all three of her separate packages and before Connie could come around to help her Jason made his way inside. He grabbed the bag out of her hands without saying a word.

Caitlyn smirked at him. "Do you have like a Spidey-sense or something that tells you when there's a damsel in distress nearby?"

"You, Lady Caity, are no damsel," Jason told her with a smile. "You're a lady knight who refuses to accept help." He paused as Caitlyn glared at him. "Most of the time."

"Good morning, Jason," Connie said as she tossed a knowing smirk at Caitlyn.

"Morning, Mrs. Torres," Jason said with a nod.

"You had a funnel cake craving, huh?" Connie asked.

"Not just any funnel cake craving. A _Connie Torres_ funnel cake craving. There's a difference," Jason told her brightly. Before he turned back to Caitlyn. "You ready, Caity? The guy on the radio said traffic's starting to back up. We should get going."

Caitlyn nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go. Bye, Mrs. Torres! Thank you for everything."

"See you later, Mrs. Torres," Jason said as he opened the door for Caitlyn.

"Bye, kids!" Connie called after them.

Jason opened the passenger side door for Caitlyn and handed her the paper bag once she was seated. He got in the car and drove off toward Cesario Entertainment Group's offices.

"You're still coming over to the house for dinner tonight, right?" Jason asked. "Mom's been going on non-stop about it for about a week and a half."

Caitlyn smirked. "Yes, I have to go back home and change and I need to pick up a quiche from Connie, but I will totally be there."

"Why don't I just bring you home and wait for you to get ready?" Jason asked. "I'm going like I am and your apartment is on the way."

"Sure, if you want," Caitlyn said with a smile. "You don't have to, though."

"I know I don't have to," Jason told her. "I just want to."

They finally pulled up outside the offices and parked. They walked straight up to Brown's office floor and set the food down on Caitlyn's desk. She picked up the largest coffee and the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich that was wrapped up in the bottom of the bag and barged into Brown's office. She set the sandwich and the coffee down.

"Eat."

"I don't have time right now, Caitlyn. I just got the latest round of press in and—"

"I don't care. Eat," Caitlyn said as she took the phone out of Brown's hands and hung it up. "You can yell at the guys' publicist later."

"But—"

She rolled her eyes. "You have a meeting in fifteen minutes and then you've got an appointment to audition a new client, and then—"

"What's your point?" Brown asked with a sigh.

"If you don't eat now then you won't have time to eat until after two o'clock."

"Fine," Brown said as he reached for the sandwich and dug in.

Caitlyn smirked at him in victory and then walked back out to her desk.

Jason grinned and chuckled at her. "I don't know how you do it."

Caitlyn shrugged. "It's not that hard, really. I just don't take any crap from anyone."

"Yeah, cause that's not difficult at all," Jason said sarcastically with a smirk.

"Well," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "It isn't for me."

Caitlyn sat down at her desk and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?" Jason asked.

"Don't you have a meeting in the conference room downstairs, Jase?" Caitlyn asked as she held the phone to her ear. She sighed as she was put on hold and then looked down at her watch. "I'm pretty sure you're late."

Jason's eyes widened and he grabbed Caitlyn's wrist to glance at her watch. "Damn. You're right. I'll see you after work, Caity."

She nodded and waved him away. "Go, run. Nate's going to kill you as it is."

She smiled after Jason as he ran toward the elevator, and then glanced down at the wrist that held her watch warmly. Her skin felt charged where he'd touched it. She was such a _sap_ when it came to Jason.

She was brought out of her thought's when the guys' publicist's receptionist finally answered the phone. "Yeah, hi. This is Caitlyn Gellar. Brown Cesario's assistant? From one majorly under appreciated service professional to another, can I ask a favor? Put your boss on the phone? Oh, thank you, you're such a sweetheart."

If Brown wanted to talk to Aaron Jones, the guys' publicist, then Caitlyn would set it up.

"Hi, Mr. Jones. It's Caitlyn. Can you meet Brown at the Ivy at 2 for a lunch meeting? I'm sure you are, but if you don't help me out here I'll have to tell your mother about all those martinis you had at that last after party—Are you kidding me? Of course I have her number. She's the sweetest lady. She's a big quiche fan. I suggested a little bakery I know—Oh wonderful, I knew you'd see it my way. See you at 2 o'clock, Aaron," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

She hung up and quickly hit number three on her speed dial. The Ivy was the _best_ place for lunch meetings so, of course, she had it on speed dial. She had a pretty good friendship with one of the hostesses at the Ivy. Her name was Peggy and like everyone else in L.A. she wanted to be an entertainer. Peggy was one of Caitlyn's most valuable contacts. She could always get Caitlyn a table for Brown's meetings.

"Hi, Can I speak to Peggy, please? Thank you so much."

Good God, She loved her job.

* * *

Jason jogged down the hall and burst through the conference room doors. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm late! Traffic was backed up—"

"It's okay, Jason. Have a seat,"

Jason head shot up and his eyes widened when he spotted Axel Turner standing at the front of the room. What was he doing here?

"Um, okay," Jason said slowly as he slid into a chair next to Shane. Jason gave Nate and Shane curious looks and they both shrugged.

"Brown reluctantly set up this meeting. Honestly, if Tess's assistant weren't so persuasive and determined I don't think I'd be standing here," Axel said with a chuckle. Axel was their uncle's rival. He ran Star Management and both men were constantly going after the same clients. And if that didn't make things complicated enough, Axel's daughter was Nate's best friend. They'd been close since kindergarten.

"Wait, this is about Tess Tyler?" Shane asked.

"Yes, she's got a duet and she wanted to know if Connect Three would be interested," Axel said as he passed out three copies of the music.

"On the Line?" Nate read aloud. "I don't know…"

Shane's eyebrows rose as he continued reading the music. "It's pretty good, dude. Catchy. I've never heard of this song writer, though."

Axel cleared his throat. "Tess found this song writer. She's been using her quite a bit lately. I'd never heard of her either."

"Devonne Lovette," Jason read slowly. "That's…"

"A terrible name," Shane said with a chuckle. "Poor woman."

"Tell Tess that we'll think about it and then give her a call. We should take a serious look at this music first," Nate told him.

"Fine," Axel said with a sigh. "But Tess's album needs to be finished in two and a half weeks. Don't take too long or she'll have to find somebody else. Luke Williams is her second choice."

All three of the brothers scowled.

"Luke Williams?" Shane asked. "He's a jerk."

"A very talented jerk," Axel said with a grin. "Meeting's over, I suppose. Take a look at that music and call Tess. She's really hoping you'll decide to work on it with her. Good day, gentleman."

They all nodded and waved and said brief goodbyes.

"I still don't understand how someone as slimy as Axel raised _Dana_. I mean she's _classy_ and Axel's…not," Jason said as he shook his head at the door Axel closed behind him.

Shane chuckled. "Occasionally from sleaze, a glorious apple may fall."

Nate put the music inside of his messenger bag and stood from the table. "I gotta go."

"I thought we were going to 'take a serious look at the music'?" Shane asked with a smirk.

"And we _will_," Nate told him. "Later. I'm supposed to meet Dana at some little dress shop."

"Wow, little brother," Jason said with a smirk. "Did Dana finally talk you into being one of her bridesmaids?"

"_Shut up_," Nate said with a glare. "I may be _her_ best friend but I'm one of Andy's _groomsmen_."

"Whatever dude, in the wedding program she's still gonna call you her 'man of honor'," Shane said with a chuckle. "I'm totally going to frame that, by the way."

"So, where's this dress shop?" Jason asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure. It's called Audrey's Closet," Nate told them.

"Oh," Jason said with a nod. "That's next to Connie's Café."

"The bakery place across the street from Caitlyn's apartment?" Shane asked.

Jason nodded. "Yes. I remember because Caitlyn always talks about how she has no time to go in there and see what it's all about."

"Well, I'll be sure to give her my review tonight at mom's dinner," Nate said flatly. "I'm gonna be late meeting Dana. There's some mystery designer that Dana loves and this little shop is the only shop nearby that carries this designer's wedding dresses."

"What designer?" Shane asked.

"Like you'd know who it was if I told you?" Nate asked.

"Hey, you don't date gold digging, up and coming starlets without learning a thing or two, Nathaniel. Trust me on this one. Who is it?" Shane asked.

"Um," Nate said thoughtfully. "E?"

"Ah, yeah I know that name. She's sort of underground and exclusive to certain stores which means anyone who's anyone would _kill_ for one of her dresses," Shane recited from memory. "The actress, two girlfriend's ago, was _obsessed_ with E."

"Apparently, Audrey's Closet is the only shop that carries E's wedding dresses. Well, unless you want to drive about ten hours which I've already told Dana I won't do," Nate said with a sigh. "So, now I'm driving out there to help her pick out her wedding dress. Does she realize that I know _nothing_ about dresses at all? Not a thing. How much help can I possibly be?"

"You're her best friend and you're a guy. She won't be able to show Andy and if it were up to Axel she wouldn't be getting married at all. You're the only _male_ opinion she can get, man. Deal with it," Jason said with a smirk.

"Someday this is gonna be you and Caitlyn," Nate said with a stern look. "You'll be helping her pick out _her_ wedding dress."

Jason paled dramatically. "I hope not."

"It _will_ be, if you don't make a move," Nate said again.

"Do you ever wish _you'd_ made a move?" Shane asked Nate. "You know, on Dana?"

Nate grimaced. "No, Dana has never been anything more than a very good friend. Dana and I would _not_ be a good couple. She and Andy are perfect together. "

"What if Caity and I don't make a good couple?" Jason asked. "I mean I think it's pretty clear that she sees me as this big brother figure."

Shane rolled his eyes. "If you truly think that then you know _nothing_."

Nate's phone rang and he groaned as he answered. "Hello? Chill out, Dane. I'm coming. I'm running late, okay? Blame your dad. He had Uncle Brown schedule a last minute meeting with us. I'll tell you later. Yeah, I'm on the way. I swear. See you in a few." Nate hung up quickly. "I really have to go. Be at the studio at two. We'll take a look at the song."

"We'll be there," Shane promised.

"See you later, little brother," Jason said as Nate sprinted out the door and down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Alright, so don't get used to this story being updated this frequently, haha. I've told myself I'm allowed to update it once a week OR after every chapter I finish. Whichever comes first. So expect one update every week. :) Also I have some stories nominated at the **IndieCRAwards**! I'd love it if you guys would **go vote for me! The link is on my profile!** Also take a look at **icing-ontop-the-cake**'s stories and **Standard-Ang3l**'s stories! They're my besties and they have more than a few stories nominated to!

Happy reading!

angellwings**  
**

**Working Girls**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

* * *

Nate finally made it to the shop after getting lost for about half an hour. He parallel parked and hurried inside the double doors of Audrey's closet. A bell rang lightly as he entered and he immediately spotted Dana chatting with a store clerk. A very cute store clerk. Dana turned and smiled at him. She motioned him over to the counter.

"Finally," Dana said. "I thought you were never going to get here."

"Oh," The clerk said in a strange tone. "Is this the groom? I've never had a bride bring her groom with her before."

"Oh no," Dana said quickly. "Trust me, he is _not_ the groom. He's the best friend."

"The _straight_ best friend," Nate said loudly before he could stop himself. The ebony haired clerk smiled at him as he grimaced and cursed himself under his breath.

Her almond shaped eyes brightened and she chuckled at him. "I'll keep that in mind."

Dana held back a laugh and nudged his shoulder. She leaned in closely and whispered, "Smooth, dude. Real smooth."

"Shut up," Nate muttered with a huff. "You know I can't talk to girls."

"I'm a girl and you talk to me just fine," Dana said with a smirk.

"Well, you're—you're…you don't count."

Dana laughed lightly. "Gee, thanks. I think."

"I don't think I've introduced myself yet," The clerk said as she walked around the counter to stand in front of them. "I'm Ella, and this is my shop."

Dana smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Dana, and this is Nate."

Ella's brow furrowed and she stared at Nate thoughtfully. "Wait, I recognize you…why do I recognize you?"

"Ah," Nate paused and cleared his throat. "Well—"

"He's one-third of Connect Three," Dana said quickly.

"Oh!" Ella exclaimed. "That's why! You guys did a shoot for People last month, right?"

Nate's right brow arched at her. "Um, yeah, but we also record music. We've won some awards too."

Ella blushed and chuckled. "Sorry, I, um, don't have much time for the radio. I've been listening to the same music since I finished school and started working."

"Really?" Nate asked. He couldn't imagine that. He was always discovering new music and new artists to listen to.

She shrugged. "My kind of work is twenty four-seven. Somebody always needs something."

"That's kind of…"

"Sad?" Ella asked him knowingly. "Believe me, I know. But I love it. This is the best job I've ever had, believe it or not. Speaking of my job, today it's to help Dana find her perfect dress. Is there a specific designer you had in mind?"

"Yes," Dana said eagerly. "E."

Ella's eyes widened and Nate could've sworn she looked nervous. "E? Um, yes, of course. I'll bring out her selection. I'll be right back."

Ella ducked into a back room that was separated from the sales floor by a doorway and a curtain. Once she was gone Dana smacked him across the back of the head.

"What was that?" Dana asked.

"What?" Nate asked cluelessly.

"The whole 'that's kind of…' thing! You practically insulted the woman! How are you going to ask her out now?" Dana said with a scolding glare.

"Ask her out?" Nate asked in shock. "I don't even know her!"

"Oh please, you _like_ her and you know it."

He sighed. "I think she's _cute_. I don't know enough about her to _like_ her in the way that you mean."

"Then while I'm trying on dresses…_get to know her_. She's nice, and you haven't been out on a date in _how_ long?" Dana asked with a knowing glance.

"Wow, just dig that knife in a little deeper, why don't you," Nate said with a sigh.

"That's what best friends are for, Nate."

"Okay."

Nate jumped as Ella reentered the room. He hadn't been expecting her, but if she noticed his surprise she didn't show it.

"These are all the E wedding dresses that I have. So, why don't you take a look at them and let me know which one's you'd like to try on," Ella said brightly.

Dana gasped as she caught sight of the rack. "Oh, they're all absolutely _perfect_."

Ella smiled and her cheeks turned a pretty light shade of pink. "I'm glad you think so. Any, in particular, that you'd like to try?"

"Oh gosh," Dana said with a light laugh. "All of them?"

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Okay, well, I'll just take the whole rack back to the changing room. How's that?"

Dana grinned. "I like that idea."

"We're going to be here forever, aren't we?" Nate asked with a smirk.

"You got a problem with that?" Dana asked with a playful glare.

Nate held up his hands in surrender. "No, of course not. I would never."

Ella rolled the rack back to the changing room and Dana followed her. Ella came back out five minutes later and stood beside Nate.

"Shouldn't you be back there with her?" Nate asked.

"Normally I would stay close by, yes, but she didn't seem to need my help. She, sort of, pushed me back out here," Ella said in confusion.

Nate chuckled. "Of course she did."

"The two of you seem very close," Ella said pleasantly. "What's the story there?"

"A third grader shoved me and called me Curly Top on the first day of kindergarten and she jumped on his back and tackled him to the ground. We've been best friends ever since," Nate told her with a soft smile.

Ella laughed lightly. "That's adorable."

"Ella?" Dana called. "Can you come and zip me up?"

"Excuse me," Ella said quickly before she headed back to the changing room. Nate sighed as he was left by himself for about five minutes. The two of them finally came back out, and Dana stepped up onto a platform surrounded by mirrors.

"This was my favorite one that was on the rack," Dana said nervously as she turned to face Nate. "How does it look?"

Nate smiled brightly at her. "You're gorgeous, Dana."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Well, I know that, but it is it…_me_?"

Nate nodded. "Oh, yeah."

Ella stepped up to the platform and arranged the skirt. She fanned it out and then circled around Dana with a wide smile. "It's exactly how I imagined it."

"No one's tried this dress on before?" Dana asked.

Ella gulped nervously and shook her head. "This is the newest dress in the collection. I wasn't sure how the exposed underskirt with the embroidery would look when it was actually _on_ someone."

"I love it," Dana said. "I feel like…a goddess."

Ella chuckled. "I believe that's the goal. It helps that you're so tall and skinny. I mean you're _built _like a goddess. How's the bodice? Too tight? Those asymmetric folds look outstanding on you."

"It could stand to be taken out just a little," Dana told her.

"How do you feel about the gathered draping on the front and sides? And the padding on the hips?" Ella asked.

Dana smirked. "I love it. It makes me look curvier. I've always wished I had a few more curves in some strategic places."

Ella was very analytical about this whole thing. Nate found it interesting. She was asking Dana questions about this dress that sounded like she was searching for any criticism she might have. It was very similar to the way he questioned someone who'd heard one of his songs for the first time.

Ella paused in front of her and smiled brightly. "Then I guess I just have one more question for you, Dana. Is this _the_ dress? Or would you like to try on another?"

"My brain keeps saying I _should_ try on another dress just to explore my options, but…"

"But?" Nate asked with a grin.

"My instincts are telling me that there's no point to trying on another one. _This is it_," Dana said with a relieved sigh.

"Finally," Nate said with a chuckle. "This is only the _fifth_ dress shop you've dragged me to."

Dana laughed and shook her head at him. "Hush." She sniffled and turned back to her reflection. "Everything about this dress is _perfect_."

Ella sighed happily, and smiled proudly at Dana. "Do you want to go ahead and take your measurements now or do you want to stay in it for a bit longer?"

Dana chuckled. "I want to stay in it for a bit longer."

Ella laughed and nodded. "Take your time. There's no rush."

Ella returned to her counter. She sat down on a stool and put away a large sketch book. He could tell she was trying to be discrete, but he noticed. He cleared his throat and her head snapped up and her eyes connected with his. He gulped and smiled softly. She really had the most beautiful eyes. They reminded him of melted chocolate. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look away.

He pointed to the leather bound sketch book. "Do you draw?"

She bit her bottom lip nervously. "I, um, play around with a few original designs sometimes."

"Have you ever made any of them?"

"On occasion," She said as she looked away from him briefly. "I made a lot more of them when I was in school."

"And where did you go to school?" Nate asked.

"Is this an interview?" Ella asked with a playful grin.

He chuckled and ducked his head. "No, just…curious."

"The Fashion Institute. Graduated in the top five percent of my class," Ella said proudly.

"Impressive," He said with a nod. "So, why aren't you in New York or Paris tearing up runways?"

She shrugged and then smiled warmly. "I feel like I actually make a difference here. Not that I'm doing non-profit work or anything, but…working here people let me in on some of their biggest moments, you know? It's an honor, really. Like with your friend, Dana." Ella motioned to Dana who was still admiring herself in the mirror. "That's a beautiful moment she's having and she'll probably remember it for the rest of her life, and I'll be a part of that memory. My _shop_ will be a part of that memory. I _love_ that. I love helping to make someone happy. And I get to do that here. The clothes on the runway are beautiful. They're art, but really the only people who can wear them are the models that are photographed in them. I wanted to be a part of something a little more practical, but still creative. And I feel like I've found it."

"You know, people don't really talk like you do anymore," Nate told her with a soft smile.

"Is that bad?" Ella asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "No, it's not bad at all."

"Alright," Dana announced suddenly. "I think I'm ready to take my measurements now."

Ella blushed and looked away from him as if she'd forgotten why he was there. "Right, your measurements."

She grabbed her tape measure and headed back to the changing room with Dana. They came back about fifteen minutes later.

"Okay," Ella said with a nod. "I'll call you with the final price this week and then once we get the payment stuff started I'll start on the alterations."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I've just got to talk to my parents, but I promise you I am coming back for that dress," Dana said eagerly. Ella nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry. I'll hold it in the back for you. That dress is yours," Ella told her with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Ella," Dana gushed. "You're wonderful. Your shop is wonderful."

Ella smiled at her amusement. "You're very welcome, Dana. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yes, you will," Dana said confidently. She turned back to Nate. "You ready?"

Nate nodded hesitantly and shook Ella's hand. "It was very nice to meet you, Ella. Thank you for the conversation. I enjoyed it."

Ella blushed and smiled at him. "And thank you." She winked before she continued. "_Straight_ best friends of brides don't often come into my shop and I'm glad you did."

Dana laughed at Nate as he blushed and looked down at his feet.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He asked.

Ella chuckled. "I believe that's up to Dana. Dana?"

"Never," Dana answered. "Not a chance in hell, Gray."

* * *

Nate arrived back at the studio right at two. Shane and Jason smirked at him as he entered.

"How was dress shopping?" Shane asked.

"Not bad, actually," Nate answered with a smile.

"Uh oh," Jason said with a chuckle. "Shane, you're seeing what I see, right?"

Shane glanced over at Nate and he grinned and shook his head. "Oh no, that's his 'I'm smitten' smile. Dude, you met a girl!"

Nate rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Oh, please," Jason said with a scoff. "It's always a big deal when you show up with that smile on your face."

"It was just…the woman that owned the store. That's all," Nate said as he set his bag down. "Can we get to work, please?"

"Oh, really? She owned the shop? Was she cute?" Shane asked.

Nate smiled wistfully. "She was beautiful." Nate shook himself back to reality. "But it doesn't matter."

Jason laughed. "Oh it matters, little brother. It matters. You haven't worn that goofy smile on your face in over a year. I mean you haven't been on a date in months, but it's been even longer since you've been on a date with a girl you were actually _excited_ to see. Did you ask her out?"

"You sound like Dana. I barely know this girl," Nate told them both.

"Look, you pass by that block on the way to mom and dad's house. You should go back there and ask her out after we finish up today," Jason told him.

"Okay, no offense, Jase, but why do you get to say anything? You've been in love with Caitlyn from afar since Brown hired her five years ago. You haven't made a move, why should I?" Nate asked with a huff.

"Because I screwed up. I got myself stuck in the friend zone because I _didn't_ ask Caity out right away," Jason told him. "Take it from me, ask this girl out right _now_."

Nate sighed and sat down in the nearest chair. "She's gonna think I'm a stalker."

"Fine," Shane said with a chuckle. "Don't ask her out. It's not our love lives on the line."

"Why couldn't I have normal disinterested brothers?" Nate asked rhetorically. "I really hate you guys, sometimes."

"It's because we're right and you know it," Jason said with a smirk. "Suck it up and get over it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Working Girls**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

* * *

The bell above the door rang and Ella looked up excitedly. She groaned and her face fell when a brunette with fringe bangs approached the counter.

"Geez, Ella, it's good to see you too."

Ella sighed and gave her an apologetically look. "Sorry, Mitchie, I just…I hoped you might be someone else."

"Someone other than your most amazing and loyal best friend in the whole entire world?" Mitchie asked with a chuckle.

Ella bit her bottom lip and blushed. "Yes. See…there's this guy."

Mitchie's eyes widened. "Seriously? _A guy_? Where in the world did _you_ meet a guy? You never go out!"

Ella rolled her eyes and flashed Mitchie a bemused smile. "It's not that I _never_ go out…"

"Ella, the last time we went out was like six months ago. And do you remember where we went?" Mitchie asked.

"Um, somewhere nice?" Ella asked hopefully.

"The crummy Chinese buffet down the street," Mitchie told her with a huff. "It was disgusting."

"So, I like staying in? Big deal," Ella said with a sigh.

"And again I ask: how did _you_ meet a guy?" Mitchie repeated.

Ella blushed and smiled brightly. "He came in to help his best friend pick out her wedding dress."

"Um, Ella, are you sure he was straight?" Mitchie asked warily.

Ella laughed loudly and Mitchie gave her a strange look. "Believe me, Mitchie, he's straight. He made sure to tell me so. Very awkwardly. It was quite adorable."

Mitchie grinned. "Adorable, huh? You two must have really hit it off if you're calling him _adorable_."

Ella sighed. "But I guess it's not important. He probably won't be back, and I have no idea where to find him."

"You have to track him down somehow," Mitchie told her. "You just have to. This is the first time you've seemed to like a guy in about two or maybe three years. Really, I mean do _not_ let this one get away."

"Wow, way to make me sound desperate, Mitch," Ella said with a groan.

Mitchie chuckled. "Well, you kind of are."

"Hey! You haven't been on a date lately either, girly. Tess works you so hard that I'm surprised you know which way is up," Ella told her.

"Tess is helping me get my songs out there, El. I owe her," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"I still don't understand why you're writing songs under a fake name," Ella said with a shake of her head.

"Yeah, I imagine that would be pretty hard to understand, _E_," Mitchie said with roll of her eyes and a smirk.

"My situation is entirely different," Ella said primly.

"How so?" Mitchie asked.

"_E_ keeps my anonymity intact. I like my privacy. I like my small comfortable life. If the world knew I was E then suddenly I'd be wanted for appearances and events…and then what would I do about the shop?" Ella asked. "You need no such anonymity. I mean you _want_ to be an artist."

Mitchie sighed. "I'm just afraid I'm no good. I'd rather find that out first, and then if it turns out I'm talented…I'll own up to writing all of Devonne's songs. That's the plan, anyway."

Ella laughed after a moment of tense silence. She laughed hard and loud.

"What's so funny?" Mitchie asked.

"We're _both_ so _sad_," Ella said through her laughter. "We're _chicken_."

Mitchie started laughing with her. "Oh God, we really _are_."

Once their laughter died down Ella took a long gulping breath and let it out. "Okay, so you're here for Tess, right? There's no way you're here at 3:30 in the afternoon on your own."

Mitchie chuckled and nodded. "Tess wanted me to pick up her latest dress. The really short, bright red one?"

Ella's eyes widened and she smiled in amusement. "Oh yes, I know the one. Only Tess could pull off that dress. I'll get it for you."

She hopped off her stool and ran into the back room and while she was gone the bell above the door rang again and Mitchie turned to see Nate Gray of Connect Three walk in the door. Ella came back out just then.

"Here it is, Mitch. Just as bright red as I remembered it. Tell her if she uses her lightest foundation and her brightest red lipstick then she'll totally _kill_ in this dress," Ella said as she handed Mitchie the dress and looked up. She froze when she noticed Nate standing behind her. She smiled slowly at him, and Mitchie took the dress. Ella cleared her throat before she spoke. "You're back."

Nate nodded and smiled in return. "I'm back."

Mitchie smirked at the two of them. "Yes, he's definitely straight."

Nate blushed and he gave Mitchie and Ella a knowing look. "You told her, huh?"

Ella laughed and nodded before she spoke. "She's my best friend. I had to. Did Dana forget something?"

Nate grinned and shook his head. "No, Dana didn't. _I_ did."

"Oh?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Nate asked as he took in a nervous breath. "I realize that we just met today and I probably seem like a complete and total stalker but—"

"I'd love to," Ella said eagerly.

Nate's eyes widened and he smiled brightly. "Really?"

Ella nodded and pulled a business card out of one of the drawers in the counter and handed it to him. "That's my cell number on the bottom of the card. Call me and let me know when."

Nate took the card and nodded. "I will _definitely_ do that."

Ella smiled shyly at him. "I can't wait."

"Me either," Nate said with a relieved sigh.

Ella's eyes slid over to Mitchie. "Oh! Nate this is my best friend, Mitchie Torres, and Mitchie, this is Nate Gray."

The two shook hands.

"I recognized him," Mitchie said. "I'm Tess's assistant and every year Tess gives me a binder to study with the name and pictures of the top 20 hottest acts in the music business. Connect Three's been in the top 5 since I started working for her."

"I'm not surprised," Nate said as he smiled politely at Mitchie. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Mitchie said as she tossed a disbelieving smile at Ella

Nate turned back to Ella and winked. "I've got to go, but I will be calling you _very_ soon. So don't change your number or anything."

Ella laughed. "Darn, you figured out my plan. I call it, 'how to avoid my stalker'. It was working just fine until you came along."

Nate laughed and shook his head. "See you soon, Ella."

"You _certainly _will," Ella said as he slowly walked out the door of the shop.

The door closed behind him and Mitchie immediately punched Ella's shoulder lightly. "You didn't tell me that this guy was Nate Gray from _Connect Three_!"

"Is that important?" Ella asked.

"Well, considering you just gave me a speech about how important your anonymity is…yeah, I'd say it's pretty important." Mitchie told her with a sympathetic smile.

"What do you mean?"

"He's famous, sweetie," Mitchie told her. "His life is _far_ from private."

Ella bit her bottom lip. "I didn't think about that."

"If you date him, your life won't be that private either, El," Mitchie told her honestly.

"But…I _like_ him," Ella said pathetically.

"I'm not saying you _shouldn't_ date him," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "I'm just saying you should really consider all the angles and figure out if you think it would be worth it."

"I…well, one date couldn't hurt right? I'll decide after that," Ella said with a sigh. "I have to give him a chance, Mitchie. I mean, I _like_ him."

Mitchie chuckled. "I heard you the first time, Ella."

Ella smiled brightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't believe he came back to ask me out!"

Mitchie smirked. "With the way he was looking at _you_…I believe it. I have to go, El. I'll see you at your place for movie night later."

"Don't be late. Your mom's making us a feast," Ella told her.

"Oh, please, don't let her make you think she's gone to a lot of trouble. It's just the leftovers from the café. Someone has to eat them or she has to throw them away," Mitchie said with a smirk.

"Still," Ella said. "Don't let Tess talk you into any overtime."

"Fine, fine. No worries," Mitchie told her as she walked out the door. "I'll be there."

* * *

Mitchie arrived back at the studio where Tess was working on her new album with the red dress in hand. She hung it up on the back of the door, and then joined Tess to find Axel telling her about the meeting.

"They're going to take a look at the music," Axel said. "But the middle one-"

"Shane," Mitchie interrupted as she cleared her throat.

"Right, Shane," Axel said as he sent a small glare in Mitchie's direction. "He seemed to like it. I told them you needed to hear from them as soon as possible. This just might work out."

Tess smiled brightly. "Good! This song is perfect for them, and can you imagine how many copies it would sell with them on the track with me?"

"Keep me updated," Axel said as he stood up. "If this goes well you'll be single handedly responsible for gaining me a few new clients."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that's what making music is all about: obtaining new clients for Star Management."

"You better believe it," Axel said as he walked away. "I want this album done in two weeks, Tess. The sooner you finish it the sooner we can move on to tours and merchandising."

Tess sighed. "I know. Trust me, Axel, I'll have it done."

The door closed behind him and Mitchie scoffed. "I really don't like that man."

"No one does," Tess said truthfully. "Well, except for his daughter."

Mitchie smirked and gasped sarcastically. "You mean even the cold and demanding Tess Tyler doesn't like her manager?"

The corners of Tess's mouth turned upward slightly and she held back a chuckle. "Why do I keep you around again?"

"Because finding someone else who can memorize your ever changing schedule would take too long?" Mitchie asked with a smirk.

"That and you write much better songs than any of the songs Axel's brought me over the years, _Devonne_," Tess said with a knowing grin.

"So, Connect Three is seriously considering recording one of my songs?" Mitchie asked nervously.

"Axel says they are," Tess said with a nod. "Make sure you answer any calls from unknown or private numbers. They should be calling soon."

Mitchie nodded. "Of course. I picked up your dress from Audrey's."

"Did you ask if Ella'd gotten any new dresses from E?"

"No, new dresses from E. I didn't ask, but she knows you well enough by now to tell me as soon as I walk in the door," Mitchie said with a chuckle.

"Fine," Tess said with a sigh. "I guess we're done for today."

Mitchie blinked at her. "What? But it's not even five o'clock yet."

"So?" Tess asked in an annoyed tone.

"You never end the day before five."

"I have plans tonight and I would like to have plenty of time to get ready," Tess told her.

"Plans…as in a date?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"No," Tess said with a groan. "Luke won't talk to me about anything other than business, and whatever he _does say _that's unrelated to business is not very nice."

"Why do you _want_ to date this guy again?" Mitchie asked.

"You're my assistant, Torres, not my little sister," Tess said in a snippy tone. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Mitchie's eyes widened and then she scowled. "I apologize. I forget that you don't like it when I try to be a friend."

"People in my position don't have friends," Tess told her. "We have leeches."

"Or famous mothers who haven't taken your calls since Christmas," Mitchie said sympathetically.

"What are you still doing here?" Tess asked hotly. "Did I or did I not tell you the day was over?"

"Alright, alright," Mitchie said as she turned and repacked her bag. "I'm leaving. You won't have to deal with anyone who _cares_ for the rest of the day. Happy?"

"Extremely," Tess sneered as she watched Mitchie leave.

Mitchie closed the door behind her and rolled her eyes. Why did she bother? She kept trying to actually be Tess's friend, but Tess didn't want any friends. For some reason she was under the impression that friends slowed her down. The minute Mitchie hit too close to home Tess turned hostile. Whatever, she had movie night with Ella tonight and then she actually had the following day off. She didn't have to think about work or Tess for the next twenty-four hours.

It was going to be amazing. She couldn't wait.

* * *

Caitlyn turned off her _Indiana Jones _lamp and headed into Brown's office.

"It's five o'clock, Brown. Time to go home," Caitlyn said as she leaned on his office door frame and gave him a stern glance.

"_Caitlyn_, I believe I'm your boss," Brown said with a smirk. "Aren't I supposed to decide when we go home?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "No, you're a workaholic. You make no decisions about the beginning or the end of the day."

"Jason's picking you up, isn't he?" Brown asked with a knowing grin.

"In about five minutes," Caitlyn answered as she glanced down at her watch. "Now, come on, pack everything up and turn everything off."

"Fine," Brown said with a soft laugh. "I know better than to mess with you when it comes to spending time with Jason."

"Thank you," Caitlyn said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

"Anything for my best assistant," Brown said with a grin.

"I'm your only assistant," Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

Brown waved her off. "Details."

"Caity?"

Caitlyn turned eagerly as Jason's voice rang out in the hallway.

"Hey!" She said as she saw him.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I just finished convincing Brown to go home. Let me get my bag."

Caitlyn grabbed her yellow tote and then poked her head in Brown's office.

"See you in a couple of hours, Brown," Caitlyn said. "You are going to your sister's for dinner, right?"

"I'll be there," Brown told her. "Don't worry about that. Now, go, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'm going. Bye."

She turned back to Jason and looped her arm through his. He blushed and smiled down at their linked arms before they both headed to the elevator.

"So," Jason asked. "How was your day?"

"Amazing," Caitlyn said brightly. "I got to blackmail your publicist into having lunch with Brown."

Jason laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because I'm all powerful and evil," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "And I never fail to use it to my advantage."

They made it out to his car and then back to her apartment. As they walked through the door she dropped her keys into a small bowl on her coffee table. And then she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! Jase, can you run across the street to Connie's and pick up my quiche?" Caitlyn asked urgently. "I would do it but I need to change and we're running a little late—"

"No problem, Caity," Jason said with a smile. "I'll get it for you."

"Thank you," She said as she headed back to her bedroom. She continued to talk over her shoulder as she walked away. "You're the best, Jase. Just grab a ten out of my wallet to pay for it."

Jason stared warily at her tote bag as it sat on the couch. "Um, okay."

The last time he went through her bag she tweaked his nose. Yes, tweaked his nose like some bit out of a Three Stooges movie. Even though she told him to get her wallet, he didn't quite feel safe digging through her bag again. Instead he left without getting anything out of her wallet. He had money. He could pay for it himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

Caitlyn tilted her head and stared at herself in the mirror before opening her closet. What do you wear to dinner with the parents of the guy you're in love with but not dating? Or to dinner with the sister of your employer? A dress seemed like too much. She didn't wear them that often, usually only for special events or dates so to wear one tonight wouldn't feel appropriate. She reserved skirts and dress pants for work on most days so that left jeans. She could dress up a pair of jeans.

She put on her favorite pair of skinnies, a grey sequined t-shirt, and a black blazer. She dug her charcoal ankle boots out of the back of her closet, and then opened her jewelry box. She grinned at all the bird jewelry inside of it. Most of it came from Jason. He had a thing about birds. He loved them. Caitlyn thought it was because birds were generally happy and were often linked to music. It made it easy for Jason to relate to them.

And so for every birthday and Christmas for the last five years he'd given her some type of bird jewelry. Normally, she wouldn't accept jewelry from _friends_, but it was Jason…she didn't really want to be his _friend_ to begin with. She decided to go with an owl theme tonight: an owl necklace, an owl ring, and owl earrings.

She turned back to her reflection and smiled before taking her hair out of its bun and running her fingers through it. Spending the whole day in the bun left it falling across her shoulders in soft waves. She heard her apartment door open and close as she started to touch up her makeup.

"Jase?" She called. "Is that you?"

"No, I'm actually a random stranger that's here to steal all your earthly possessions."

Caitlyn chuckled and rolled her eyes at the sound of Jason's voice. "I see I've finally taught you sarcasm."

"Connie gave you an extra quiche. She thought you might want one for breakfast in the morning," Jason called from the living room.

Caitlyn grinned as she touched up her eye shadow and eye liner. "Of course. That woman has got to stop giving me free food. I have money. I can pay for it."

"Somebody has to spoil you, Caity," Jason said.

Caitlyn glanced at her jewelry box out of the corner of her eye. Jason seemed to be doing a pretty good job of that on his own. She reapplied her lipgloss, and then began digging through her bin of purses and clutches. She had this one wristlet in mind for this outfit. It was perfect. It was black and studded and just big enough for her phone, lipgloss, and wallet, and—

And she just remembered that she leant it to Dana last week. Caitlyn groaned and cursed. Great, so that meant either a purse or a large tote bag. She didn't like to carry tote bags when she wasn't at work, and a shoulder bag just felt like too much for this outfit.

"Oh," Jason called suddenly. "Nate and Dana went to that Audrey's Closet shop across the street today."

"Oh yeah?" Caitlyn called as she rummaged through her bin. "Did Dana find her dress?"

"Yep, and Nate walked away with a date."

Caitlyn froze. "Wait. _What_? Nate hasn't been on a date in _forever_."

"Yeah, well, neither have either of us."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you for reminding me."

"Anyway, apparently Nate really hit it off with the girl who owns the shop."

Caitlyn groaned. "What have I told you guys about dates? You're supposed to let me approve of all potential dates _before_ you ask them out. It's the only way to keep Shane from dating evil users."

"Caity," Jason said in a bemused tone. "Out of the three of us, Nate is the best at reading people. If he thinks someone's faking it he just doesn't even bother with them. I'm sure this girl is harmless. He said she didn't even really know who he was."

"Of course she pretended not to know who he was. She'd be stupid to make her ambitions _that_ obvious," Caitlyn said with a roll of her eyes. "But this is actually perfect because I don't have a bag to go with this outfit, and now I have an excuse to run over to Audrey's Closet and check this girl out."

She stood up and then joined Jason in the living room. She grabbed her tote bag and headed for the door.

"You're not seriously going over there?" Jason asked.

"Yes, I am. Are you coming?"

Jason sighed. "If I don't then there's no one to stop you from provoking this poor girl until she attacks you."

"Let her try," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "I'm too scrappy to be beaten."

"You're insane," Jason said with an amused smile.

"And that's why you all keep me around," Caitlyn said as she opened the door and walked out into the hallway. "We'll come back for the quiche. I'll have to drop off this tote bag anyway."

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this," Jason said as he closed the door behind him. "Nate's going to kill you."

"He won't kill me," Caitlyn told him. "He'll just lecture me to death, and I've learned to ignore him."

Jason and Caitlyn hurriedly crossed the street. Caitlyn stopped to look at the hours sign on the door. She was open to walk-ins five days a week, closed on Sundays, and only available by appointment on Wednesdays. Her hours of operation were 7 to 6 everyday, but her sign by the door said she'd extend her hours for any appointments. Caitlyn glanced down at her watch. It was five till six. They'd just made it.

A bell sounded as Caitlyn opened the door and a dark haired girl came out of the back room.

"Oh," She said brightly. "Hello. You're just in time. I was about to lock the doors for the day. How can I help you?"

"Hi," Caitlyn said as she pasted on an overly friendly smile.

Jason bit back a groan and whispered to her. "Please don't do this."

Caitlyn elbowed him in the side and Jason grunted in pain. "_Shut up_." She smiled at Ella again. "I'm actually looking for a wristlet to go with this outfit. I really don't want to carry this tote bag and I let a friend borrow the wristlet I normally use. I thought you might be able to help me out. You are more than a bridal shop, yes?"

She nodded and smiled. "Evening gowns, wedding gowns, shoes, and accessories. Let me show you my selection. I'm Ella, by the way. You are?"

"Caitlyn," She answered. "And this is my friend Jason."

Ella came out from behind the counter and shook both their hands. "Nice to meet you both. If you'll follow me."

"I'm looking for something to go with what I'm wearing," Caitlyn said. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Ella gave Caitlyn a slow once over. "Well, you're wearing a lot of neutral colors so you might want something a bit brighter just to add some dimension." Ella reached into the glass case they'd stopped in front of and pulled out a glittery bright magenta wristlet. "Something like this would be very fun."

Caitlyn grimaced. "I'm not a big fan of pink. I prefer primary colors or black. Do you have any suggestions in _black_?"

"I honestly wouldn't suggest black. It would match, but then your outfit would seem rather cold," Ella told her kindly. "But I can understand that not everyone likes pink." Ella glanced through the display cases and suddenly her eyes brightened. "Perfect." She unlocked another case and pulled out a beautiful plum colored studded leather wristlet. "How about this? It's a bit darker, but still adds a touch of color."

Caitlyn smiled brightly and nodded. "I do actually really like that."

"Wonderful," Ella said happily. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that'll be all," Caitlyn said.

"Okay, well then let's get you checked out," Ella said as she took the wristlet with her and led Caitlyn back to the counter.

Caitlyn cleared her throat as Ella scanned the barcode on the wristlet. "So, how long have you worked here?"

"Well, I've _worked_ here for about nine years, and I've owned it for five," Ella answered thoughtfully.

Caitlyn picked up one of her business cards from the holder. "I see. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," Ella said pleasantly.

"How many relationships have you been in?"

Ella's hands froze as she was removing the security sensor from the bag. "Um, I'm sorry?"

"I was just curious," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "But if that's too personal…I mean I understand if you've been in too many to count."

Jason shook his head and sighed tiredly. He leaned against the counter and gave Ella an apologetic look.

"I—I…don't understand," Ella said with a confused expression.

"It's a really simple question," Caitlyn said.

"She's not going to leave you alone until you answer," Jason told her sympathetically.

"Well, um…if you count high school relationships?"

"I do," Caitlyn told her.

"Then three," Ella answered nervously. "One boyfriend in high school, one in college, and then one since I graduated."

"Uh huh," Caitlyn said with a nod. "And what's your _number_?"

"My number?" Ella asked. "Well, it's on that business card you're holding, and the shop is listed in the—"

"No, no. Not phone number. You're _number_. The number of men you've slept with," Caitlyn said plainly.

"Oh god," Jason said as he buried his head in his hands.

"_What_?" Ella asked in a high pitched nervous voice. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Caitlyn winced. "That many, huh? Out of curiosity, if some guy that worked a minimum wage job asked you out…would you accept?"

"Are you doing some sort of poll or something?" Ella asked with a furrowed brow before she huffed and turned snippy. "And, for the record, I have _not_ slept with a lot of guys. Thank you very much. I've barely slept with _any_, actually."

"And barely any means?" Caitlyn asked.

"I—um, _two_, okay? Are you happy now?" Ella said with a blush and a glare. "If you're done invading my privacy you owe me $48.50 for the wristlet."

"You didn't answer my last question," Caitlyn said with a sigh.

"Why do you want to know? Are you looking to set someone up on a blind date?" Ella asked in a tense tone.

"No. Are you avoiding _my_ question?"

"_Caitlyn_," Jason said in a scolding tone. "Leave the poor girl alone."

The bell over the door rang again and all three people turned to find a brunette approaching the counter. The brunette locked eyes with Caitlyn and then smiled politely. "Hey, I know you. You're, um, Gellar…Caitlyn Gellar, right? Brown Cesario's assistant?" Then the girl noticed Jason and smiled again. "And you're Jason Gray. Look at that, Ells, two members of Connect Three in your shop on the same day. How'd you manage that?"

Ella's eyes widened and she turned to give her two customers questioning glances. "You're here because of Nate, aren't you?"

Caitlyn turned back to the brunette and gave her a once over before she was finally able to place her. "You're Tess's assistant. That's why I've seen you."

"God," Ella said with a dry chuckle. "Now this whole infuriating encounter makes so much sense. Did he send you over here to interrogate me? To figure out how honest or dishonest I am, is that it?"

Jason sighed. "I didn't want to come over here at all, honest. But Caitlyn's a little over protective. Nate has no idea she's here. I promise. And trust me, we're both going to get yelled at as soon as he finds out about this."

Ella groaned angrily and handed Caitlyn the wristlet. "You know what? Take it. It's on the house." She glared at Caitlyn one last time. "You know, not everyone who's interested in Nate is going to be a gold digging whore. I just…I thought he was nice, and…sort of adorable." She paused and blushed. "He's worth getting to know a little better." She looked back at Caitlyn with a clenched jaw. "Is that okay with you?"

Caitlyn's eyes widened and she smiled brightly. "Oh, I like you already. You don't scare easy. That's always a plus."

"If all of Nate's friends are like you then I definitely agree," Ella said with a sigh. "Can I close up now or do you have more questions?"

"No, no," Caitlyn said pleasantly. "I've learned all I need to know, and…I approve. Come on, Jase, let's get out of her hair. Thanks for the wristlet!"

Jason gave Ella an apologetic smile. "Again, so sorry about all of this. Have a good night!"

"Yeah, you too," Ella said as they left. She immediately ran and locked the door behind them.

* * *

"_Caitlyn_," Jason sneered as they walked back across the street. "What the hell was that?"

"I needed to know what kind of person she was," she said simply.

"You humiliated her," Jason said with a roll of his eyes. "Was that necessary?"

"Yes, Jase, it was," Caitlyn told him. "People can fake being nice. They can pretend to be the most accommodating person in the world. But you can't _fake anything_ when you're truly angry. When people get pissed off they usually crack and let a little bit of the honest truth slip out. That's what I wanted from her, and I got it."

"Is that what you do to all of our potential dates?" Jason asked skeptically.

"That's what I _will_ be doing since Shane's last dating debacle ended up with him being trashed on the front page of every tabloid in the US _and the UK," _Caitlyn told him decisively.

"But wait a minute, I've had you meet a girl I wanted to ask out since then. You know, right after you started dating that one guy…um…Barney?" Jason asked curiously. He knew the guy's name. He just didn't like to think about him.

"Barry," Caitlyn corrected him before she huffed. "And yes, I remember her."

"Is _that_ why she stopped taking my calls?" Jason asked.

"She wasn't good enough for you," Caitlyn answered honestly. "I caught her bragging to her friends about her date with a member of Connect Three. I could have tolerated her if she was bragging about _you_, but she wasn't. She was bragging about _the band_. She didn't make the cut."

"Fine, if you get to screen our dates then I think _we_ should screen yours," Jason said sternly. "It's only fair."

Caitlyn headed into her building and fumbled to find her keys in her tote. "That shouldn't be an issue. No one's asked me out since _Barry_ broke up with me."

Because of _you_, Caitlyn thought. Barry had broken up with her because he felt like she was _too_ attached to Jason. And she was. She knew she was, and it wasn't something she _wanted_ to change.

"Then they're all idiots. Especially _Barney_," Jason muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Caitlyn smiled slightly at that and absently jammed her hand in her tote in the hopes of reaching her keys. As luck would have it she _did_ reach her keys, only the tip of one of them stabbed underneath her fingernail. She dropped her tote and hissed. "_Shit!_ Ow!"

Jason instantly grabbed her hand. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. My keys stabbed me, that's all. _That's_ why I only carry totes to work. They're _too big_," Caitlyn said with a pout.

"Which finger was stabbed?" He asked.

"My ring finger."

He held onto her injured hand tighter and brought her ring finger closer to his face. Caitlyn could feel her cheeks heating up. She had to step closer to him as he pulled her hand toward him, and she was suddenly very aware of just _how close_ they were.

"Well," Jason said as he examined it. "It's not bleeding, but you definitely broke your nail."

"It still hurts," Caitlyn said with a nervous gulp.

Jason smirked at her. "Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?"

Caitlyn had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming a very loud _"YES!" _at him.

"That won't be necessary," She said with a small smile.

"No, it's not necessary," Jason told her. "But I bet it would help."

Before she could say anything else he pulled her hand toward his lips and placed a feather light kiss on the pad of her ring finger.

Caitlyn blushed an even deeper shade of red and looked away from him. "Thanks."

"Anything for you, Caity," Jason said as he bent down and picked up her tote. He pulled her keys out of it, and held them out to her. "Here you go."

Caitlyn tried not to let her hands shake as she took her keys from him and unlocked her door. Was he _trying_ to torture her? The door opened and she practically ran for the kitchen table so she could drop her tote and switch over to the wristlet. As she did so Jason went to the kitchen and retrieved the quiche. Caitlyn took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She could do this. She could make it through the night without embarrassing herself and _jumping_ Jason.

"Caity?" He asked from the door. "You ready?"

"Yes," She said slowly. "I'm ready."

She turned and walked briskly out of the apartment with Jason trailing behind her.

* * *

"What was that?" Mitchie asked in confusion.

"Honestly?" Ella said with a sigh. "I have no idea."

"I can't believe you just _gave_ her that wristlet," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "Did you want her to leave _that_ badly?"

"Mitchie, she asked me how many guys I'd _slept_ with," Ella told her with a pointed look.

Mitchie's eyes widened and she winced. "Yikes. Yeah, I'd have wanted her gone too."

"I'm so embarrassed," Ella said as she rubbed her red cheeks.

"Jason seemed nice," Mitchie said observantly.

"Yeah, I guess," Ella said as she mentally tried to shake off her anger and humiliation.

"I took the food mom sent over up to your apartment already," Mitchie told her. "Tess wanted to finish early today, apparently."

"Good," Ella said as she straightened up her counter and packed up her tote bag. "God, I need a night of rom-coms and face stuffing. _Especially _now."

She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and turned off the lights as she and Mitchie headed to the door. She unlocked them briefly to let them both out and then locked it behind her. They walked to the corner of the building to another door. Ella pulled out her keys and unlocked that door and then she and Mitchie headed up a long narrow flight of stairs.

"Mitch," Ella asked as she stopped in front of her apartment door. "Can you lock that down stairs door?"

Mitchie nodded and jogged down the stairs to lock the door. Ella lived in a studio apartment above her small store. It had a lot of floor space, but no bedrooms. There was a decently sized kitchen and a spacious full bath, but her living room and bedroom were one room. She unlocked her apartment door and left it open for Mitchie. Ella threw her bag down on her day bed that doubled as a couch and then turned to her hand me down dining room table.

Her eyes widened when she saw the spread Connie Torres sent over. "Oh God. Your mom is trying to fatten me up, isn't she?"

Mitchie laughed as she entered the apartment and closed the door. "She's trying to fatten _everyone_ up. Why else would she own a _bakery_? Do you know how many total carbs she feeds people every day?"

"Since I'm one of those people she feeds every day I'd rather not know," Ella said with a grin. "So, what do you think we should watch tonight?"

"_Clueless_," Mitchie answered immediately. "We haven't watched that in ages."

"Oh, I love that movie. Alicia Silverstone is so adorable," Ella said with a smile. "Sounds good to me."


	5. Chapter 5

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Jason and Caitlyn arrived at the Grays nearly fifteen minutes late, and when they finally walked through the door Caitlyn was greeted with a bone crushing hug.

"Caitlyn," Mrs. Gray said eagerly. "It's been too long, sweetie."

Caitlyn chuckled lightly. "It's good to see you too, Mrs. Gray. I brought one of those quiches I told you about."

"Oh?" Mrs. Gray said as she pulled back and turned to Jason who was holding the quiche. "That looks delicious." She took the quiche out of Jason's hands and rushed it to the kitchen.

"Don't mind me," Jason said with a smirk. "It's not like I'm your _son_ or anything. I don't need a hug."

"Oh, hush," Mrs. Gray said with a chuckle. "I see you all the time."

Mrs. Gray took Caitlyn's hand and led her into the living room with the others. Jason followed the two women with a smile. Caitlyn was the only girl, besides Dana, in any of her son's lives that she approved of. She'd made it clear that she wanted Jason to make a move.

"Jason and Caitlyn are here," Mrs. Gray announced. "Have a seat, you two. Dinner's almost ready."

"Hey guys," Shane said. "Took you long enough to get here."

"Caity had to make an extra stop," Jason said as he threw a scolding glare in her direction.

"Will you stop?" Caitlyn asked in a huff. "Don't you think you've lectured me enough for one night?"

"Uh oh," Dana said with a grin. "What did she do this time?"

Jason looked at Nate hesitantly before looking down at his hands. "I don't want to say. I'd like to live to see my next birthday."

Nate glared at both of them suspiciously. "What does that mean?"

Caitlyn glared at Nate. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted to ask out some random shop girl?"

"Wha—" Nate paused at looked at Jason. "You _told _her?"

"You never said I couldn't!" Jason said in a desperate high pitched tone. "Shane! Help me out here."

Shane shrugged. "It's true. You know Jason tells her everything."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Caitlyn, what did you do?"

"Well, Dana has my wristlet and I needed one to go with this outfit so I—"

"Please tell me you did _not_ go over there," Nate said as he interrupted her.

"Well, what did you expect?" Caitlyn asked. "I told you guys that _I_ need to approve of your dates. Shane's dated too many wannabes for me to trust you three to pick out your own girlfriends."

Dana chuckled. "Oh God, poor Ella. Did you traumatize her?"

"I just asked a few questions, that's all."

"Yes," Jason said with a sigh. "A few highly personal, extremely _embarrassing_ questions."

"I swear to God—"

"Language Nathaniel!" Their mother called from the kitchen.

Nate sighed tiredly before he continued. "If you scared away the first girl I've genuinely been interested in, in a _very_ long time, I _will_ shun you, Caitlyn Michelle Gellar."

"Ooh," Caitlyn said dryly. "_Shunning._ Sounds scary."

"Tell me what happened right now," Nate demanded.

"Nothing major," Caitlyn said with a wave of her hand. "I like her though. She's feisty, and very sweet. Good choice, Nater-tot."

Nate huffed and stood up. "I'm going to go call her to make sure she's still speaking to me."

Caitlyn held up her wristlet to show Dana. "And look what she gave me!"

Shane laughed. "She gave you that to get rid of you, didn't she?"

"It doesn't matter why," Caitlyn said stiffly. "What matters is that she gave it to me."

* * *

Ella's phone rang as she and Mitchie settled on the day bed and she immediately answered it.

"Hello?"

"E-Ella?"

She gasped and nearly dropped the phone. "Nate?"

"I'm just calling to make sure you don't hate me. Jason told me that Caitlyn stopped by and I just wanted to make sure we're still on for a date. Um, _are_ we?"

"First, I need to know something."

"Anything," Nate said quickly.

"Did you _send_ her to my shop?" Ella asked nervously.

"_God no_," Nate said adamantly. "I didn't even tell her I asked you out. I was hoping to hold her off for a while, but Jason tells her _everything_. I probably should have seen this coming."

"So, she took it upon herself to barge into my shop and question me?" Ella asked.

"She thinks it's in her job description to tell us who we can and can't date," Nate said apologetically. "If it helps she seems to like you."

Ella grinned. "After all of that? Really?"

"She's an odd duck, I know."

Ella giggled softly at that. "Did you just use the phrase 'odd duck'?"

"Is that…a bad thing?"

"No," Ella said with a smile. "It's just so old fashioned that it's adorable."

Nate cleared his throat nervously. Ella had a feeling he was blushing. "So, what are you doing on Sunday night?"

"Nothing. Sunday's my day off," Ella answered.

"Good. I was hoping we could have dinner."

"I would love that," Ella said eagerly.

"Great," He said with a relieved sigh. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Okay," Nate said brightly. "I'll see you Sunday."

"See you Sunday," Ella repeated.

"And I'm sorry about Caitlyn. I promise the rest of my friends are _mostly_ normal," Nate told her.

Ella chuckled. "No problem. I completely understand."

"Thanks," Nate told her. "I, um, I might call you later."

Ella bit her bottom lip and blushed. "I hope you do."

"Bye, Ella."

"Bye, Nate."

Ella hung up and then let out an excited squeal. Mitchie chuckled at Ella and took her plate from her. Ella stood up and jumped up and down. She screamed softly in delight and spun around as she jumped. She stopped abruptly and turned to Mitchie.

"I have date! I have a _date_! With a _completely_ adorable guy! OH. _MY_. GOD!"

Mitchie laughed and shook her head. "You're such a girl."

"I don't care," Ella said in a prissy tone. "Do you wanna know why?"

"Because you have a date?"

"Yes!" Ella said with a triumphant giggle. "On Sunday! That's the day after tomorrow!"

* * *

"You got lucky this time, Caitlyn Gellar," Nate said as he came back into the room with a big smile on his face. "She still wants to go out this weekend."

"Aw," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "You're all blushy and smiley. It's adorable."

"_Shut up_," Nate said sternly. Although the smile on his face didn't quite make the glare convincing.

Dana smiled at him. "Aren't you glad I made you talk to her? If it wasn't for me you would have completely ignored her."

"I would not."

"Don't lie, bro," Shane said with a smirk. "You so would have."

"So, what are you and this girl going to do on this date?" Mrs. Gray asked as she came into the living room.

"_Mom_," Nate said with an embarrassed grimace.

"What? Am I not allowed to ask that?"

"No, you're allowed," Jason said with a smile. "He just has no idea."

"Can we talk about something else? Like where Uncle Brown is?" Nate said as he eagerly changed the subject.

"Good question," Caitlyn said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He better not still be at the office. He told me he was leaving and that he would be here."

Nate let out a relieved exhale and pulled out his phone while everyone was distracted. He typed a quick text to Ella and hit send before shoving his phone in his pocket.

"_I hope you don't plan on going to bed early tonight. I'm having dinner with my family and I was hoping I could call you when it's over."_

As everyone got up to go to the dining room table his phone vibrated and he eagerly checked his messages.

"_I'll be up. Promise."_

He smiled and put away his phone before turning to Caitlyn.

"You owe me for what you did tonight," He told her.

She blinked him. "For trying to look out for you?"

"For nearly scaring away a girl I really like."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, what do you want?"

"Well, I want to have a really nice dinner with Ella, but I don't want to take her out to a restaurant and have the paparazzi ambush us. That really _would_ scare her away. And since you know how to cook, I thought…that maybe I might be able to convince you to…"

"Oh just spit it out, Nate," Caitlyn said impatiently.

"I was hoping you'd make dinner for Ella and myself," Nate said hesitantly. "Something nice. I mean I could try and do it myself, but…the last time I tried to cook I nearly burnt down mom's kitchen."

Caitlyn chuckled. "Sure. I mean, it would probably help make up for all of my rudeness from earlier tonight. But Jason's helping me."

"Jason's doing what?" Jason asked as they all sat down at the table.

"Helping me cook dinner for Nate's date."

"I am?" Jason asked.

"Yes you are," Caitlyn told him with a nod.

"Okay."

"Find out if Ella has any food allergies and then call me," Caitlyn told Nate before she took a sip from her water glass.

Nate smiled brightly at her. "Thanks, Cait."

Caitlyn shrugged. "No big deal. When's this date?"

"Sunday. I'm picking her up at 7," Nate told her.

"…and bringing her back to your apartment?" Caitlyn asked with a smirk. "Just what do you expect to happen, Nate?"

Mrs. Gray cleared her throat. "I'm sure he plans to be a _perfect gentleman_. Don't you, Nathaniel?"

Nate blushed and a strained smile appeared on his face. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Ella glanced over at Mitchie as the credits rolled on their movie. Mitchie was sound asleep. Completely dead to the world. Ella chuckled and carefully stood from the day bed. She took their dishes over to the sink and began to straighten up what she could without making too much noise. Suddenly her phone rang and Ella cursed under her breath and ran to hurriedly answer it.

"Hello?" She said quietly.

"Hey, it's Nate."

She smiled and headed for her front door. "Hey. Hold on one second."

"Okay."

She grabbed her keys and walked out her front door and down to the bottom of the stairs. She sat down on the bottom step and leaned her back against the wall. She glanced out of the glass door to her right as she lifted the phone to her ear once again.

"Back," She said. "Sorry, Mitchie was asleep so I stepped outside. I didn't want to wake her up."

"She's the friend I met earlier, right?" Nate asked.

Ella nodded. "That's her."

"And she stayed over?" Nate asked.

"Girl's night. She has tomorrow off."

"What about you?" He asked. "Don't you have to work tomorrow?"

"I do, but all I've got to do is get ready and go downstairs," Ella said with a chuckle. "No commute means I can sleep later."

"You live in your shop?" Nate asked.

"No," Ella said with a chuckle. "Above it. In a studio."

"Above…it?" Nate repeated thoughtfully. "Would you mind if I stopped by? It's on my way home."

"Are you talking on your cell and driving?" Ella asked worriedly.

Nate chuckled. "No, I'm leaning against my car in my parent's driveway."

"Good," Ella said. "And you can certainly stop by. How long do you think you'll be?"

"About fifteen minutes. Is that okay?" Nate asked.

Ella glanced down at her PJ pants and worn out t-shirt. Fifteen minutes was just enough time to change. "That's perfect."

As soon as they hung up Ella raced up stairs and into her apartment.

"Oh God, what to wear, what to wear," Ella muttered as she opened her closet and scanned her clothes. She found a pair of jeans, a Barbie t-shirt, and slipped on her pink glittery Toms. She'd just met Nate. She was not going to let him see her in sloppy PJ's just yet. No way.

She tucked her keys in her front pocket and slipped her phone into her back pocket before she quietly snuck out the door and down the stairs. Nate texted her just as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She smiled and opened the glass door that led out onto the sidewalk. She spotted Nate leaning against a car that was parallel parked next to the sidewalk. She smiled and waved as she approached him.

"Hi," She said brightly.

"Hi," Nate responded with a grin. "It's after midnight. I was expecting you to be in your pajamas or something."

Ella blushed. "Well, I was, but I sort of changed clothes."

Nate chuckled. "You didn't have to do that."

"We haven't even been on a first date yet," Ella told him with a smirk. "No way you're seeing me in my PJ's until _after_ that at least."

Nate nodded and smiled. "That's fair, I guess."

"So," Ella said as she took a step closer. "How was your family dinner?"

"Well, there was teasing, lecturing, lots of hugging, and home cooking. All in all, just another day in my life," Nate said with a crooked smile. "What about your night?"

"Movies, junk food, and gossip," Ella told him with a nod. "Your usual girls night stuff."

"Caitlyn didn't ruin your day too much?" Nate asked apologetically.

Ella grinned. "It was a bit…intimidating, I guess, but I think I'm mostly over it now. I mean, I can understand why she felt the need to ask me all of those—"

"HEY! LOOK WHO IT IS! SUP, LOVEBIR—"

"_Caity!_ Shh!"

"Chill out, Jase. I was just saying hello."

Nate's face flushed and his eyes widened as he and Ella turned to see Jason walking Caitlyn inside the door of her building.

"Caitlyn had wine at dinner. A _lot_ of it. Forgive her," Nate said as he rubbed a hand over his forehead.

Ella's brow furrowed. "What are they doing here?"

"Jason's dropping her off."

"Dropping her—you mean she _lives_ around here?" Ella asked with wide eyes.

Nate nodded and grinned. "Across the street."

"Across the street," Ella repeated. "I hope she's a lot more pleasant once you get to know her."

Nate laughed. "Yes, she is. I promise. I mean she's still abusive and loud, but not quite so rude."

"I'll take your word for it," Ella said with a small smile. "So, what's up with her and Jason? Are they a thing or…"

"_Or_," Nate said tiredly. "They're not a thing, but it's obvious they both want to be. Neither of them can work up the guts to do anything about it, though. They're…complicated."

"Trust me, I understand complicated. That word seems to define my life," Ella said with a slow nod.

"Yours too, huh?" Nate asked with a light laugh. "Complicated seems to be a popular condition in this city."

"It's a worldwide condition," Ella told him with a smirk. "An epidemic, if you will."

Nate laughed. "So it is." He paused and shuffled nervously before he continued. "About Sunday…"

Ella smiled warmly. "Yes?"

"Is it okay if we have dinner at my place? I'd rather not have the cameras on our tail for our _first_ date," Nate admitted.

"That would be a bit awkward," Ella told him in a hesitant tone. He just had to remind her that he was famous. "Sure, dinner at your place sounds great."

"I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman. Hands to myself," Nate told her with a smirk.

Ella chuckled and blushed as she spoke. "Well, you don't have to keep your hands to yourself the _whole_ time."

Nate grinned and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really?"

Ella nodded. "Just try not to move too fast."

Nate smiled and reached out for her hand. "So, something like _this_ would be okay then?"

Ella smiled shyly and stepped closer to him. "Yes."

"Good to know," He said softly as he reached out and held her other hand as well. "You should know…"

Ella glanced at him expectantly. "I should know?"

He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "That I _really_ look forward to getting to know you, Ella. I actually kind of can't wait."

She sighed happily and squeezed his hands. "Neither can I."

Nate glanced down at his watch and immediately regretted it. It was late, and he had to be up early the next day. He sighed apologetically. "I should go. It's nearly one in the morning."

Ella nodded in understanding. "Me too. I have an early morning consulting appointment."

"I _really_ would like to stay but—"

Ella cut him off with a kind smile. "I totally understand, Nate. Besides, I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

He nodded. "I will be here at seven _on the dot_ to pick you up."

"Looking forward to it," She said with a grin.

Nate hesitated a long moment before he let go of her hands. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams, Nate," Ella said brightly as she slowly backed away from him and toward her door.

Nate waited until he saw her enter the building before he got in his car and drove away. He _hoped_ this relationship was off to a great start.


	6. Chapter 6

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

Caitlyn stared at the blank legal pad in front of her and tapped her pen against it.

"So, what are we gonna make for the lovebirds' first date?" Jason asked as he leaned over her should to get a look at the pad.

"I have no idea," Caitlyn said with a huff.

"Maybe we should start with a specific course like dessert?"

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip. "Not a bad idea, Jase."

She wandered off to her bookshelf and pulled out several of her cook books before she returned to her spot on the couch. She handed a dessert cook book to Jason and picked up one for herself. They flipped through page after page of cakes and cookies and pies before Caitlyn finally had an epiphany.

"Oh my God! Better than Sex!" Caitlyn shouted suddenly.

Jason's eyes widened and he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Wh-What?"

"Better than Sex Cake! It's delicious! That would be the absolute perfect dessert!" Caitlyn exclaimed as threw the dessert cook book aside and picked up a red three ring binder. She flipped through like a mad woman until finally landed on the recipe she needed. "See! It's perfect! It looks delicious, right?"

She slid the binder toward Jason and pointed to the picture. Jason blushed and tried to push his previous thoughts out of his head. "Yeah, it looks great."

"Oh, I can't wait to see Nate's face when I announce what that dessert's called," Caitlyn said with an evil grin. "Hilarious."

"Hilarious," Jason repeated with a gulp. "Why are we deciding these things? Shouldn't Nate pick out the menu for his _own_ date?"

"Because Nate can't cook and he actually wants Ella to be _impressed_," Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

"So you want me to help you tomorrow?" Jason asked.

Caitlyn nodded and continued to flip through one of her books. "Yes."

"Connect Three has a meeting with Tess tomorrow," Jason told her.

Caitlyn shrugged and winked at him. "I'll get you out of it. Don't worry. I need my sous chef, Jase."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Sous chef?"

"My assistant. You know, the chef that's just under me," Caitlyn told him as she jotted something down on her legal pad.

Jason blinked at her and cleared his throat. "_Under_ you?"

He really needed to get his mind out of the gutter or else this was going to be a _very_ long day.

* * *

Dana walked into Ella's shop that morning and smiled brightly. Before the shop had closed the night before Dana had called up and set up a consultation with Ella about the fitting and the pricing. She was actually looking forward to meeting with Ella by herself. Maybe she could repair some of the damage Caitlyn caused the night before. She was excited to get started on customizing her dress.

Ella smiled when she saw her and motioned her behind the counter. "Come on back, Dana."

There was no one else in the store and Dana noticed a few naked mannequins on her way to Ella's back office. She walked through the door and found Ella pairing things together on a dress maker's mannequin.

Dana smiled. "Changing the front window display?"

Ella nodded. "Got a new line in. I need to figure out which two to put in the window." She put what she was working on aside and motioned for Dana to sit down at a small crowded desk in the corner. Ella sat down across from her and pulled a folder out from under one of her many piles. She handed it to Dana with a smile. "That is the suggested payment plan. I talked to the designer and she was willing to reduce the price of your dress so I think you'll find the plan very reasonable."

"You _talked_ to _E_?" Dana asked in awe.

Ella bit her bottom lip. "Well, e-mailed. Not really talked. I don't have a phone number for her, of course."

Dana opened the folder and her eyes widened. "She really agreed to reduce the price _that_ much?"

"I told her that you were determined to get one of her dresses and that you were a very big fan," Ella said with a shrug. "She insisted."

"I—well, please send her a thank you e-mail for me," Dana said with a bright smile. "This is perfect. I thought I was going to have to run up all of my credit to afford it."

Ella's brow furrowed. "Your credit? What about your parents?"

"It's just me and dad and he—he's only paying for a small percentage of the wedding, and the dress isn't included," Dana told her. "But this new price is completely reasonable for me. I can't believe it worked out so well."

"Yeah, it's very…_lucky_," Ella said with a smile.

"Can I write you a check for the first payment?" Dana asked.

Ella nodded. "Just make it out to Audrey's Closet."

Dana kept talking while she wrote out the check. "So, I heard Caitlyn paid you a visit last night?"

Ella blushed and closed her eyes. "Oh God, you heard about that?"

"Had dinner with the Grays last night and Jason told us all about it when they arrived," Dana said with a chuckle. "You really have to excuse Caitlyn. She's very protective, and she will make it up to you in time. The very first time I met her the first thing she asked me was whether or not Nate and I had ever slept together. She lacks a brain to mouth filter sometimes."

Ella cleared her throat and looked down at the table awkwardly. "Well, have you and Nate ever…you know?"

"Slept together?" Dana asked with an amused grin. "No, never thought about it in my life, honestly. He's always been my whiny and grumpy, socially challenged best friend. Not a thing more. You have nothing to worry about. Not when it comes to me, at least."

Ella chuckled. "Whiny and grumpy?"

"You met him on a good day, Ella. Trust me, he's normally very crabby," Dana said with a smirk.

"I'll be on the lookout for that in future then," Ella said with a grin.

"Hopefully, you'll know a better way to handle him than the rest of us," Dana told her with a smile as she handed her the check.

"I'll see what I can do," Ella said with a blush. "Are you ready for your first fitting?"

"Definitely," Dana said as Ella led her toward the dressing room where her tape measure and pins were.

* * *

Nate stared at the music in front of him and attempted to play a few chords. He was trying to focus. He really was, but all he could think about was his date with Ella the next day. He'd handed the menu over to Caitlyn and hopefully she wouldn't serve anything too embarrassing.

"Nate?" Shane asked with a grin. "You awake over there?"

Nate shook himself and turned to look at his brother. "What?"

"You've been out of it all day, man."

"Sorry, I'm just…nervous," Nate said as he cleared his throat.

"About your date tomorrow night?" Shane asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, about my date," Nate said with a sigh.

"Dude, you've been on dates before," Shane said with a chuckle. "Relax."

"Not dates like this one," Nate told him. "This girl's different. I can feel it."

Shane's brow furrowed. "Different? What does that mean? Love at first sight?"

Nate shook his head. "Not love at first sight, but it's certainly something a bit…_more_. It's hard to explain."

"Maybe you're just going insane," Shane said with a teasing grin. "Ever thought of that? Every date I've ever been on has felt exactly the same. No sense of Kismet about it."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and how long is your longest relationship again? Three months? I don't think I'll be taking your advice, Shane."

"Wow, chill, Mr. Grumpy," Shane said with a huff. "Just teasing you like the older brother I am, man."

"Someday, Shane, you will feel this, and then you'll get it. Just keep that in mind while you're teasing me," Nate said with a smirk. "What goes around comes around, brother."

"As much as I've dated I think I would have met my soul mate by now if she existed," Shane said with a huff. "So I doubt anything's going to 'come around.'"

Nate quirked a brow at him. "Famous last words, dude."

"Yeah, right," Shane scoffed as he waved his hand dismissively.

* * *

Shane pulled into the grocery store and glanced around for cameras. He didn't see any nor did he see many cars in the parking lot. It should be safe. He stepped out of the car and grabbed a cart on his way toward the door. He waved at the manager as he entered. This was one of the few stores that had a wonderful policy of discretion for their more famous customers so Shane shopped here a lot. It was a little out of his way, but Caitlyn had told him about it and he'd decided the distance was well worth it.

He tried to remember which of his pantry shelves were empty and what he needed the most of but his cabinets were pretty much empty so there was a lot to remember. He never made a list and preferred to just wing it based on his mood and how empty or full his stomach was. Sometimes that worked, but most of the time he went home without at least one very key food item.

He decided to start on the bread aisle. It would be one less thing for him to forget. Nate's words about his dating history and feeling that _supernatural_ feeling Nate felt about this Ella girl were still bugging him. Should he feel like he's missed out on something? Even his first date with Tess hadn't felt..._magical_. It had been distracted him since he'd left the studio. He turned the corner to browse the aisle and before he knew it his cart had hit something solid.

"Oh, God. _OW! Shit!"_

Shane winced and looked up to find he'd run into a _person_. A woman, to be exact. A very cute woman. The cart had smashed against the back of her and run over the back of her ankle. Shane quickly backed the cart away and headed toward her.

"I'm sorry!" Shane said urgently. "Are you okay? Do you need me to get you something or…"

"No, no! I'm okay," the woman said as she bit her bottom lip. "It'll stop hurting in a few minutes."

"It was a blind corner I didn't see anyone coming," Shane said as she turned around to face him.

"Well, maybe you should have paid closer attention," The woman said with a huff just before she looked up at him. She froze and Shane _knew_ she recognized him. He closed his eyes and waited for her reaction. She would do one of two things: fawn all over him like he'd done nothing wrong or fake a very serious injury and then threaten to sue him. He counted down from three in anticipation. "Geez, you'd think somebody in your position would be extra careful in order to avoid law suits. You're lucky I'm not some ambulance chaser looking for an easy pay day."

He blinked at her in surprise. "Yeah, I guess so. Um, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"No," She said with a small smile. "It was an accident. No body's fault, really."

And then she turned and walked away. That was it? She wasn't going to attach herself to him like a leach? Or tag along like a lost puppy? Just "It was an accident" and then…nothing? Just like he was a completely normal guy even though this girl _knew_ he wasn't. Well, this was certainly a first for him.

"Hey, wait up," Shane said as he pushed his cart faster and tried to catch up to her. He noticed her small plastic basket was almost full and had an idea. "Why don't we, um, share the cart? I'm never gonna have enough to fill this thing up and your arms look pretty full."

"No thanks," she said politely. "I'm fine."

"I insist," Shane said with his most charming smile. "It's the least I can do."

She gave him a suspicious look before she smiled slowly and nodded. "Fine, but you can_not_ ask me out once we're done here, okay?"

He quirked a brow at her. "I can't?"

"No, you can't. Deal?" She asked as she stuck out her hand for a shake.

He nodded reluctantly and shook her hand. "Deal." He had a feeling he was going to regret that deal. "Can I, at least, get your name?"

She shook her head. "No."

"So, then, what do I call you?" Shane asked.

She squinted thoughtfully and pursed her lips. He found it extremely adorable. "You can call me…Torrey."

"Torrey?" He asked.

She nodded as she put her basket in his cart. "Yes, Torrey."

"Okay, _Torrey_, where to?" Shane asked.

She pulled a list out of her back pocket and glanced over it quickly. "Cereals and snacks."

"Ah, you're a list person," Shane said observantly.

"And you aren't?" Torrey asked.

"Nope. I like to wing it," Shane said with a grin.

"So, I've heard," Torrey said with a smirk. "Or, at least, that's the impression you give in the tabloids."

Shane cleared his throat. "Tabloids tend to exaggerate."

Torrey nodded. "Yes, they do, but when it comes to you they don't have to exaggerate much do they?"

He glanced down at the floor before he looked back at her. "Sadly, no."

"And _that's_ why you can't ask me out," Torrey told him gently. "I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I'm done dating _temporary_ guys. No offense."

"Wow, you're an honest one, aren't you?" He asked.

She shrugged. "As honest as I can be."

For the first time in a long time he wondered if he could handle something a little _more_ than temporary. He didn't know why, but something about her made him wonder. He smiled before he spoke. "That's…surprisingly refreshing."

Torrey chuckled. "Well, I'm relieved you don't find me insulting."

"The people around me are too afraid of what I'll do if they're honest."

"Even your brothers?" Torrey asked in disbelief.

"Oh no, not them," Shane said with a chuckle. "They're brutally honest."

"That's good," Torrey said with a nod.

"Yes, and then there's always Caitlyn," Shane said with a grin. "She's honest with _everyone_."

"Sounds like you're not too entirely sheltered then," Torrey said with a chuckle.

"No, I guess not. It just feels like it sometimes," Shane said honestly as they reached the cereal aisle.

Torrey nodded and made a beeline for a box of Fruity Pebbles and Shane couldn't hide his impressed look. He didn't know many girls his age who still ate cereals like Fruity Pebbles. "I get it," She said. "You just want to meet someone new every now and then who doesn't automatically love or hate you, right?"

Shane nodded. "Exactly."

"I'd like to meet someone new who doesn't automatically assign me to be backup," She mumbled with a sigh as she put the box of cereal into the cart. She pulled the list back out and spun around to see the rest of the aisle. "Pop-tarts…"

Shane saw them over his shoulder and turned to face the shelf. "Which flavor?"

"Cherry."

He grabbed a box and tossed it into the cart for her. "Anything else on this aisle?"

"No, I'm good. You?"

"Trust me, I am all stocked up on cereal. From Cap'n Crunch to Sugar Smacks, I've got it all," Shane said with a chuckle. "Next aisle?"

She nodded and they quickly headed toward the soups and canned vegetables aisle. After a moment of awkward silence Shane spoke up again.

"You know, you don't seem like the kind of person who would let herself be back up if she didn't want to be," Shane said observantly.

"You'd be surprised what a person will let happen If they're unsure of themselves," Torrey said sadly. "I still have things that I'm not quite confident about yet. I mean, I'm working on it, but…I've got a few weaknesses."

Shane nodded in understanding.

"I think…I think I just need one person to really _see_ me, you know? I'm so used to being invisible and going unnoticed that I'm starting to believe I _am_ invisible."

Shane stopped and shook his head. "You're not. You're not invisible. Not to the people who really matter, at least."

Torrey smiled softly at him. "Thank you. I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you. I'm not sure why I'm…I mean I barely know you. There's no reason I should be spilling my guts right now."

"It's not a big deal," Shane told her. "Believe me. I've done my fair share of gut spilling today too." He paused for a moment. "So, uh, your boyfriend didn't come shopping with you?"

Torrey laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "Smooth, popstar. Very smooth."

Shane blushed and cleared his throat. "You didn't answer my question."

She smirked at him. "No, my boyfriend didn't come. We try to keep our love private. My husband is very jealous, you see."

For a split second Shane's eyes widened and his heart dropped…until he heard light rolling laughter coming from Torrey. He turned a playful glare on her. "Cute."

She shrugged and stuck her tongue out at him. "I thought so. You seem to be forgetting our deal though. You can't ask me out remember?"

He cursed under his breath and grimaced. "I knew I was going to regret that."

Torrey smiled warmly at him and chuckled. "It wouldn't work out anyway, Shane."

"Why not?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"I'm a homebody. Too boring for a social guy like you," Torrey told him. "Besides, you don't want me. I'm far too serious. You want someone tall, blonde, and good for a simple fling. That's not me. Trust me on that one."

Earlier today he would have agreed with her, but now he was beginning to doubt. There was just something about Torrey that made him want to change and…_be better_. But she was determined nothing would happen. Figures, he thought, the first girl I meet that genuinely intrigues me and she wants nothing to do with me. Sometimes he felt like the universe had it out for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

Mitchie tried not to freak as Shane Gray walked her to her car. Of all the people to run her over with a grocery cart it had to be _him_. She didn't know why she'd decided to be all mysterious. He was going to find out who she was tomorrow, and he _did_ seem nice. But the thing about working in Hollywood is that everyone talked. Assistants tended to look out for each other and warnings were passed around in an effort to be helpful. When Mitchie got the job as Tess's assistant one of the first warnings she'd received had been about Shane Gray. He'd date anything that wore at most a size 8 dress, but he never stuck around for very long.

So Mitchie thought she'd take that off the table right away. She'd be his friend, but nothing more. She wouldn't add to his never ending line of girls. She had no idea where this Torrey thing came from though. Maybe she just didn't want to risk him knowing she was Tess's assistant. She really didn't know, but either way she wasn't going to go back on it now. She unlocked her car and they loaded her groceries into her backseat. They made small talk as they did so and once all her groceries were in the backseat there was an awkward pause.

Shane cleared his throat. "So, I guess this is it?"

Mitchie nodded. "Guess so."

He stuck his hand out for a shake and she took it. He flashed a crooked smile at her and winked. "It was nice to meet you, _Torrey_."

"And you as well, Popstar," Mitchie said with a smirk before she released his hand. He waited until she was inside of her car before he headed to his own. Mitchie waited until he was out of view before she pulled out of her parking spot and headed home.

That was certainly an interesting turn of events. She'd never expected she'd meet Shane Gray for the first time _in the grocery store_. It just seemed so…_normal_. She really hoped that small taste of normal carried over to tomorrow. She wouldn't want to see Tess's reaction if today's events made things awkward in the studio tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning Mitchie was picked up by the car Axel had hired for Tess and then it headed to Tess's massive house in Beverly Hills. They arrived on time but Tess wasn't ready. Mitchie called her cell phone and heard a deep voice talking in the background. She said she'd be right out and finally Tess's front door opened but it wasn't Tess that came outside. It was Luke. Luke headed for his massive SUV and left the house in a hurry. Apparently Tess's date had gone well.

A few minutes later Tess exited the house in a surprisingly casual outfit and a very dark pair of sunglasses. She was running late and it showed in her appearance.

The door to the car opened and Tess motioned for Mitchie to scoot over. Mitchie tugged at her dress to keep it from hiking up as she scooted over to the next seat. The car took off as soon as the door was closed and Tess immediately pulled off the shades and glared at Mitchie.

"Don't say a word," Tess demanded.

Mitchie held up her hands in surrender. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good, how late are we?" Tess asked.

"About half an hour," Mitchie told her as she glanced down at her watch.

"Half an hour is easily fashionably late," Tess said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Well, I hope Brown Cesario and Connect Three agree with you," Mitchie said with a sigh. "It'll still be another half an hour at least with Traffic."

"They're big boys," Tess said as she rolled her eyes. "They can deal."

Mitchie sighed nervously. Arriving after Shane meant she couldn't hide. They'd walk through the door and there would be no stopping him seeing her. She was a little worried about how Tess would react. Tess had known the guys for several years. They weren't friends or even friendly acquaintances or at least they hadn't been while Mitchie was around, but that didn't mean Tess didn't have some unwritten rule about how Mitchie was supposed to interact with them.

Mitchie said a quick prayer and hoped yesterday wouldn't be the start of a never ending drama.

* * *

Caitlyn sighed and glanced down at her watch as she sat next to Jason in the recording studio. She and Jason were leaving at around 4 to start preparing dinner for Nate and Ella. She was going to do everything at Nate's and she even had a few ideas in mind for setting the mood. Tess was already an hour late and she hoped it wasn't a sign of how the rest of the day would go.

The door to the studio opened and Tess walked through. She didn't look bothered by the time in the slightest. She smiled brightly at the people in the room before she spoke. "Good, we're all here. Let's get started."

Nate huffed and Caitlyn smirked at his right leg as it bounced nervously. Nate was anxious for this day to be over and knowing Tess she would unintentionally drag it out. Caitlyn was glad she'd gotten herself and Jason out of the full day. Tess's assistant, Mitchie, slowly walked in behind Tess and Caitlyn noticed she was acting very strange. She kept looking down or away and finding different ways to hide her face. Caitlyn was beginning to think she didn't want to be seen.

Mitchie dropped one of her folders and Caitlyn watched as Shane picked it up for her. Mitchie winced and bit her bottom lip as Shane finally got a good look at her face.

"I—what—_Torrey_?" He asked in surprise.

Mitchie cleared her throat. "H—Hi, Shane."

Tess's brow furrowed and she glanced at Mitchie in confusion. "Torrey? Who the hell is Torrey?"

Mitchie stuck her hand out toward Shane. "I don't think we've technically met, Mr. Gray. I'm Mitchie Torres."

He grinned and shook her hand eagerly. "Nice to meet you, _Mitchie_."

She smirked secretively at Shane. "And you as well."

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Tess asked sternly.

Shane chuckled and changed the subject. "So, how about we start looking at this song? I don't know where you found this song writer, Tess, but she's pretty amazing."

Caitlyn noticed Tess give Mitchie a meaningful look before she spoke. "Yeah, she's very talented. Hopefully, she'll keep writing and won't do anything to _screw this up_."

No one other than Tess or maybe Mitchie knew what she meant so they all stared at the two of them in confusion. Caitlyn cleared her throat and checked her watch again. "Okay, we really need to get this show on the road. Brown's got a meeting at 4 and Jason and I are going with him. So, chop-chop, let's go."

"Oh, hello, _Caitlyn_," Tess sneered. "I didn't see you there."

Caitlyn glared at her and caught her underlying message. "_You're no one."_ Caitlyn's jaw tensed and she ground out the sentence, "It's a pleasure to see you again too, Tess."

"If you two are done being passive aggressive I'd like to work on this arrangement. I need to be out of here by 6 at the latest," Nate said with a huff. "Let's start with the intro."

They all got to work on the song while Caitlyn, Mitchie, and Brown observed. It was rough going at first because Tess wanted more of a dance pop influence while the Grays preferred a more rock and roll sound. Caitlyn tried not to roll her eyes at Tess's suggestions. Every one of them would make the track sound unnatural and over produced. Things that definitely didn't fit this song. The song itself was very sad and organic. It's why Caitlyn thought the guys made a smart decision by agreeing to this duet. It was their kind of song and they would do very well with it. She could _feel_ it.

If only Tess wasn't their duet partner.

* * *

Finally, four o'clock rolled around. They hadn't gotten much done, but Brown gave Caitlyn the signal and she immediately pulled Jason from the room. She was ready to get away from Tess. Once they were in the hallway Jason smirked at her.

"I knew it wouldn't take you long to get out of there."

"Shut up," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "You know I can't take Tess in large doses."

"I got a key from Nate so we can raid his place. Do we need to go shopping first or do you have everything you need?" Jason asked.

"I've got it all boxed up at my place. I know Nate's kitchen is probably pathetic so I've got some of my skillets and other tools boxed up too," Caitlyn said. "So we need to go buy my apartment first. Is that okay?"

"That's not a problem," Jason told her.

"Good, I'm actually pretty excited about this," Caitlyn said with a grin.

"Is there a reason you wouldn't be?" Jason asked. "You love to cook."

"Yeah, but I usually only cook for myself…or you," Caitlyn told him. "I don't normally get to cook for other people."

They made it to his car and he took Caitlyn by her apartment to pick up the supplies that she needed and then headed straight to Nate's building. He lived in a very fancy building. It was older but it was known around LA for housing the rich and famous. The security was tight to ensure the privacy of the residents and guest lists had to be strictly maintained. Caitlyn and Jason had to show their IDs on the way in to confirm that Nate intended for them to be there. Nate had private Elevator access so Jason had to insert a key into the panel and turned it to make the elevator ascend.

"So, what am I going to be doing tonight?" Jason asked while they were inside the elevator. "I'm not gonna be cooking, am I?"

Caitlyn chuckled. "I'm going to have to teach you one of these days."

"But not today?" Jason asked fearfully.

"Not today. Today you are going to be my waiter, and you're going to decorate while I cook," Caitlyn told him with a smirk.

"I can do that," Jason said with a smirk. "Totally plausible for me."

Caitlyn chuckled. "Good. This is gonna be fun."

* * *

Shane rolled his eyes as Tess agonized over yet another tiny adjustment to the song. He stood up from his seat and decided to let Nate handle this one. Mitchie was sitting in a chair in a corner of the room looking extremely bored so Shane made his way to her. He cleared his throat as he sat down next to her.

"So, Torrey is Mitchie and Mitchie is Tess Tyler's assistant?" Shane asked with a grin.

Mitchie blushed and nodded. "Yes." She laughed nervously before she continued. "I'm not sure why I didn't tell you my name yesterday. I think…I think I was afraid you'd assume I had some sort of ulterior motive."

Shane nodded. "That's understandable, I guess. I'm glad you didn't just disappear though. I was afraid I'd never get to see you again."

She quirked a brow at him. "Easy boy, you're starting to sound like a leading character in a romantic comedy."

"And there's something wrong with that?" Shane asked.

"No offense, but you're Shane Gray. I've been warned about you," Mitchie told him.

He sighed. "Of course. From Tess?"

Mitchie looked confused. "From Tess? Should Tess have told me something?"

Shane's eyes widened. "Oh! Um, no. No. I just thought…I mean she's your boss so—"

"You dated Tess, didn't you?" Mitchie asked with a pointed look.

He bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Mitchie groaned. "Oh, great. Did it end well?"

"Um, do I have to answer that?" Shane asked fearfully.

"No, I guess not," Mitchie said with a sigh. "But I think you already gave me the answer."

"Hey! Flirty girl," Tess called irritably. "I'm not paying you to flirt with my fellow artists."

"Sorry, Tess," Mitchie mumbled.

Shane glared at Tess and opened his mouth to say something but Mitchie kicked his leg as he sat next to her. He immediately closed his mouth and his jaw tightened. Tess shouldn't talk to Mitchie like that. Of course, it was probably his fault she was talking the way she was. Her ex-boyfriend was openly flirting with her assistant after all.

"Mitchie, I'd like a bottled water, please," Tess said. "There's a machine down the hall."

Mitchie nodded and stood up. "Right, of course."

Shane watched her go and then turned to say something to Tess, but he jumped when he found Tess standing mere inches away from him.

"You listen to me, Gray," Tess said with a glare. "You already screwed up my last assistant, and she was _good_. Now, I've finally got this one trained and _you_ are not going to mess this up. Stay away. I do not want her to fall down on her job because _you_ decided to play with her emotions. Let her be the one girl in Hollywood you don't _screw over_, Shane. Because if you break her…I will hurt you. Got it?"

Shane's eyes widened. It almost sounded like Tess…_cared_. Like she was protecting Mitchie. Sure, on the surface her request sounded selfish but Shane could tell there was a deeper meaning behind it. Somehow, Tess had made a friend. She would never admit it, but she had.

"I—I got it, but I can't promise that," Shane said nervously. "I think I…_like _her."

Tess rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Sure you do. Just remember. I warned you."

"Okay, really?" Nate asked. "It's already five o'clock, people. Can we put a halt on the drama, please? I'm leaving in one hour. I don't care how little we've finished."

Tess quirked a brow at Nate. "What's got your boxers in a wad?"

Shane stifled a laugh before he responded. "He's got a date."

"And he's giving up work to go on this date?" Tess asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we were shocked too."

"Must be some girl," Tess said with a teasing grin. "Nate's a workaholic."

"You know, I _am_ still in the room," Nate said with a sigh.

* * *

Jason watched Caitlyn buzz around Nate's kitchen. She seemed to have a handle on everything and he had no idea what he should do to help. He smiled slightly as he watched Caitlyn work. She was a well oiled machine in the kitchen. A lot like she was at work. She was probably the best multi-tasker he knew. She could handle almost anything. His smile faltered a little bit. She'd been working for Brown for a long time now. In fact, it was hard to remember Brown's last assistant at all.

But Caitlyn's job with Brown was originally supposed to be a means to an end. She didn't want to be an assistant forever. She wanted to produce, and somehow that hadn't happened for her yet. Caitlyn tapped the whisk on the edge of a sauce pan before spinning in a graceful circle in front of the stove. She was humming the song they'd been working on today. He held back a sigh as he thought. She deserved a chance to produce. If anyone deserved a chance at their dreams it was Caitlyn.

He would have to do something about that, but not tonight. Tonight was supposed to be about Nate and Ella's date…mostly. He cleared his throat. "So, what do you need me to do, Caity?"

"I need you…to put out the candles and the flowers," Caitlyn said as she pointed to the last bag on the table. "I want there to be no doubt on what the mood is supposed to be in this place."

Jason nodded and smiled. "Can do. One romantic atmosphere coming right up."

"Could you set the table while you're at it?" Caitlyn asked sweetly.

"No problem," Jason said as he grabbed the bag and left the kitchen.

"Thank you, Jason!" Caitlyn called after him. "You're a saint!"

"No, I'm really not!" Jason said with a chuckle.

He decided he would set out the candles first and then fill in with the flowers. He put together a centerpiece on Nate's dinner table that he thought Caitlyn would approve of and then spread the other decorations throughout the apartment. He stopped and glanced over his work. He thought it looked pretty good. Once the candles were lit and the lights were dimmed it would be downright beautiful. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed Nate's dinnerware and flatware and set Nate's small round dinner table for two.

By the time he finished his project nearly an hour had passed. He walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to the stove. He smiled at Caitlyn. "Are you in a place where you can stop and come see my work?"

Caitlyn grinned and nodded. "Sure."

She set the burners to low and checked whatever was in the oven before she followed Jason out of the kitchen.

She gasped and smiled brightly. "Perfect, Jase. Absolutely perfect. This is going to look so amazing."

"Now what should I do?" Jason asked.

"Remember the clothes that were in that bag you picked up?" Caitlyn asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

"I need you to put them on," Caitlyn said with a grin. "That's your wardrobe for tonight."

"There was a bowtie and a cummerbund in that bag, Caity."

She giggled and nodded. "I know. And you're going to look adorable."

Jason quirked a brow at her and sighed. "This better be worth it."

She smiled before she quickly leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It will be."

He gave her a shocked look as he brought a hand to his cheek. She pulled the clothes out of the bag and placed them in his arms with a wink.

"Now, I have to get back to cooking. I think you can handle putting those on."

* * *

It was six o'clock and Nate was officially _done_. It would take him half an hour to get home and then he'd have ten minutes at most to get ready so he decided to get ready at the studio. He'd have more time and he wouldn't risk being late to pick up Ella. As he headed toward one of the restrooms he heard Tess hurrying Mitchie out of the building. Tess had done her absolute best to keep Shane and Mitchie from being alone together for last portion of the day. That was a huge mistake in his opinion. Making Mitchie forbidden would only make Shane work harder to win her over.

But that wasn't his problem. That was between Mitchie and Shane, really. Tess should probably stay out of it. He had a feeling she wouldn't, though.

Nate locked the bathroom door behind him and quickly changed into a pair of nice slacks and a light blue button down. He checked his watch and his eyes widened. Why did time pass so quickly when you were in a hurry? He changed shoes and put on a bit of cologne before he checked his hair. His curls had gotten a bit out of hand but he had nothing to tame them with so he was stuck with them. He grabbed the bag he'd brought with him, and rushed out the door.

He should get there just in time as long as traffic wasn't too terrible. He contemplated calling Caitlyn and Jason before he left, but he decided that if they'd messed anything up he _didn't_ want to know.

* * *

Ella took a deep calming breath as she finished drying her hair. Her make up was on, hair done, and all that was left was her wardrobe. What did a girl wear on a first date _in _with a famous musician? Should she dress formal? Semi-formal? Casual?

She bit her bottom lip, and glanced at her watch. She really needed to hurry.

She closed her eyes and tried to mentally picture an outfit. Pants and a top? Definitely not. Skirt and a nice blouse? Maybe. A dress?

_Yes_.

She flipped through the items in her closet until she came across her newest dress. It had a white bodice and warm pink colored skirt. The skirt was covered in lace and stopped _just_ above her knee. It had pretty white decorative straps. It looked pretty without seeming too formal. She quickly picked her accessories to match and then clipped back one side of her hair with a matching fabric flower. She smiled at her reflection before picking out a light pink jacket to wear over it.

The buzzer from downstairs rang out and Ella looked at her watch once more.

He was right on time. She took a deep breath and nodded at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. "No pressure or anything. It's only the first date you've had _in years_. And with a guy you _really_ like. No big deal." She gulped and sighed. "Now I'm talking to myself. Great."

She grabbed her purse and headed down to the door at the bottom of the stairs where she knew Nate would be waiting. She really hoped she didn't do or say anything embarrassing tonight.

She smiled brightly at Nate through the glass door. He looked _good_. His curls were a bit messy, but somehow…it actually made him _more_ attractive. She locked the door behind her and he immediately offered her his arm with a wink. She chuckled and happily accepted it.

"Why, thank you," She said in a bright tone. "You certainly are a gentleman."

Nate laughed softly and shook his head as they walked toward his car. "My manners are _nothing_. Jason is the _king_ of gentlemen. Most of my father's lesson stuck in _his_ head rather than mine or Shane's."

He opened the car door for her and waited until she was inside before he closed it. Once he was inside he pulled away from the curb and said a quick prayer that everything went smoothly.

* * *

"Alright, what do you think?" Jason asked as he turned around so Caitlyn could see the entire look.

Caitlyn smirked at him. "You look great."

"Really?" He asked.

She nodded. "You're just missing _one_ thing." She squinted thoughtfully. "Well, maybe two things."

She grabbed Jason's hand and led him toward Nate's bathroom. She looked through Nate's medicine cabinet before she finally found some hair gel. Jason eyed her fearfully. "Um, Caitlyn, what are you doing?"

"We're going to slick back your hair. Hold still."

She hoisted herself onto Nate's bathroom counter and pulled Jason to her. Once he was standing in front of her Caitlyn put some of the gel on her hands. He wasn't standing quite close enough so she put an arm around his neck and pulled him forward. Jason was standing in between Caitlyn's legs and against the counter. He gulped as her hands dove into his curls. Was she _trying_ to torture him? She ran her fingers through his hair to spread the gel and Jason had to hold back a groan. The answer was yes. She was definitely trying to torture him.

She ran her hands over his hair and smoothed it down one last time before she leaned back to look at her work.

"Perfect. Done."

Jason slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath to keep his cool. Her face was inches away from his own. All he had to do was lean in just a little and they would—

"And now I need to get my eyeliner."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Your _what_?"

"For your mustache," Caitlyn said as if it were obvious.

"Why do I need a mustache?"

"Because its fun and you'll look adorable," Caitlyn told him as she tried to find a way off the counter without touching her gel covered hands to anything. Jason smiled in amusement as he watched her struggle before he finally placed his hands around her waist and helped her down. It didn't seem possible but somehow that brought them even closer to each other. Caitlyn noticed their proximity and blushed before she purposefully moved her eyes from Jason's lips to his chest. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "Oh, um, thanks."

"No problem," Jason said with a soft smile.

Once her feet were on the ground she turned and washed her hands. "Okay, now I'm going to get my eyeliner. You stay here. I'll be right back."

He nodded as he watched her go. This was almost too much. How was he supposed to keep being her friend if things like _this_ kept happening? Maybe the answer was that he _wasn't_. He huffed and stared at his reflection. He could make a move, but what if Caitlyn didn't want that? What if he made things awkward? He groaned and leaned against the counter. Why did he have to make things so complicated?

He heard footsteps coming toward him and he stood up straight and smiled. Caitlyn hopped back up on the counter in front of him and put a hand under his chin. She pulled his chin toward her and then uncapped her retractable eye liner.

"Hold still," She said with a smirk. "I don't want to mess this up. This eye liner is waterproof."

He could hear Caitlyn breathing as she traced the liner just above his lip. He watched her closely. She bit her bottom lip as she drew and one side of her mouth was pointed upward mischievously. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and he couldn't help but think she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her cheeks were still pink from being in the hot kitchen for so long, but it only increased her appeal.

Caitlyn chuckled as she finished and leaned back. "Beautiful. You look like a snooty waiter at an overpriced restaurant."

Caitlyn moved to hop off the counter but she didn't get very far.

"Um, Jase?"

"Hmm?" He asked distractedly.

"You're, sort of, holding me in place."

Jason blinked and shook himself back to the present. His hands were around Caitlyn's waist and he was keeping her on the counter. He blushed furiously but he couldn't seem to move his hands. "I—I'm sorry."

He looked up at her and she smiled shyly at him. "It's okay."

He gulped and leaned toward her. He couldn't believe he was actually going to do this. She hadn't backed away in disgust or moved even an inch. His lips were hovering over hers and he was about to close the rest of the distance in between them when keys jangled in the door. Caitlyn jerked away and gasped.

"_Shit!_" She exclaimed. "They're here. I haven't finished the dessert yet!"

Jason watched her hop off the counter and sprint away in shock. He groaned miserably and followed after her. Of course Nate and Ella had to show up just as he worked up the courage to actually _do_ something.


	8. Chapter 8

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

Just as Nate reached for the door knob the door to his apartment swung open and Nate's eyes immediately widened in embarrassed shock. It was Jason. Dressed up like a waiter.

"Welcome to Chateau de Nate. I will be your waiter for the evening."

Nate rubbed a hand across his brow at the sound of Jason's British accent. This was not what he'd bargained for.

Ella giggled at Jason and smiled brightly. "Nice mustache."

"Thank you," Jason said with a smirk. "Caitlyn drew it. Allow me to escort the both of you to your table," Jason said with a bow as he motioned for Nate and Ella to follow him. Ella glanced around Nate's apartment and her eyes widened.

"Wow," She said as she noticed the candles and flowers. "This is beautiful."

Nate grinned and nodded in agreement. "I'm not even sure this is still my apartment."

Ella laughed softly. "You mean you don't keep it like this _all_ the time? I can't imagine why you wouldn't."

"Yeah, it's not like it's a fire hazard or anything," Nate said sarcastically with a smirk.

"Do you make your friends go to all this trouble for _all_ your dates?" Ella asked as Jason pulled out her chair for her.

Nate blushed and cleared his throat. "No, no. I haven't been on that many dates recently."

"Recently?" Jason said with a scoff. "Try _years_."

Nate glared at Jason and sighed. "Thanks for that, Jason. Really."

Jason helped Ella scoot up her chair before he smirked knowingly at Nate and shrugged. "You're welcome. I'll be back with your beverages and salads."

He walked away and Ella turned to Nate and smiled warmly. "I haven't been on a date in a _while_ either, Nate. Don't worry."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Really? _You_?"

"What?" Ella asked as she blushed. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you're just…" Nate paused and cleared his throat. "You're _very_ attractive. And you're smart and funny. I can't imagine you haven't been _asked_ at least."

"What about you? You're an attractive, talented, and _famous_ musician. You've got to have women throwing themselves at you," Ella told him with a shy smile.

"Yeah, that's not as appealing as you might think," Nate said honestly. "Most of those women don't really care about me. They care about what I have."

"I just can't seem to find a guy who doesn't think I'm some sort of immature dummy," Ella said with a sigh. "I guess because I'm 'attractive' and making a career out of fashion they assume I don't know when a guy's trying to pull one over on me. You know?"

"I definitely don't think you're immature _or_ a dummy," Nate assured her.

Her smile brightened. "And I'd like you just the same even if you were a struggling coffee shop musician."

Nate reached across the table and squeezed Ella's hand. "Glad to know we're on the same page then."

Jason came back then and placed their salads and waters down in front of them. "Caitlyn wants to know how things are going. What should I tell her?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Tell her it's none of her business."

"Do I have to?" Jason asked fearfully.

"That's all the answer she's getting, Jase."

Jason sighed and reluctantly headed back to the kitchen.

"So, how did you end up with your shop?" Nate asked as he turned his attention back to Ella. "I mean most people don't finish school and then immediately start a business."

She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, I didn't start the business. I inherited it. I started working there in college, and the woman that owned it sort of…_adopted_ me. She passed away just before I graduated and left her shop to me. It wasn't the career I planned for but I think I'm much happier on this road than I would have been on any other. What about you? Did you and your brothers just grow up _knowing_ you'd be rock stars?"

Nate chuckled and shook his head. "No. We were all interested in music and initially it was just what we did to relate to each other, but our Uncle Brown thought we had real potential and we decided to see what would happen. We never really expected to be…'rock stars'."

Ella nodded. "No offense, but you seem awfully _normal_ for a famous musician."

Nate smirked. "None taken. I am. My parents wanted us to be as _human_ as we could be. They made sure we didn't get special treatment unless it was absolutely necessary. Having albums to record and tours to go on didn't change any of our responsibilities."

Ella smiled warmly at him. "Your parents sound very smart."

"They're pretty great," Nate agreed. "What about your family?"

Ella bit her bottom lip before she answered. "My mother passed away just after I started my first year at the Fashion Institute and my father's never really been around. But my mom really tried to make up for that. I don't know how she did everything she did, but she was there any time I needed her. Day or night."

"I'm sorry," Nate said sincerely.

Ella smiled sadly. "It's okay. It's not your fault. She'd been sick for a very long time. We both knew it was coming." She turned a considerably brighter smile on him. "I think she would have liked you, though."

"You do?" Nate asked with a grin.

Ella nodded. "She had a thing for musicians. Add in the fact that you seem so normal and _sane_ and well…she would have adored you."

"So, your dad wasn't around very much," Nate said thoughtfully. "Did you know him at all?"

She shrugged. "A little. He came around some when I was younger and then maybe a few times a year once I started middle school. I don't really think it had anything to do with me, honestly. I think it hurt him to see my mother and to be reminded of what he didn't have. And I can't say I resent him, really, because I barely know him. I mean, I had a pretty happy childhood without him. So why miss him now?"

"Still," Nate said sympathetically. "A father should be someone you can rely on."

"All that matters to me is that I'm happy with where I am now and _who_ I am now," Ella told him honestly. "And, as of this moment, I'm _very_ happy."

Nate smirked at that. "_Very_ happy, huh? That happiness wouldn't have anything to do with me, would it?"

Ella blushed and giggled as she forked a bit of her salad. "Maybe a little."

Nate took a bite of his salad and figured out what his next question would be. He wanted to know everything about Ella. No detail was too small. Her first skinned knee, her childhood friends, her likes, her dislikes—he wanted to know it _all_. She was a very wonderful kind of unusual and it intrigued him. _She_ intrigued him, and he was ready to learn all he could about her.

Ella, for her part, was inwardly terrified at what his next question would be. Would he want to know _who_ her dad was? She hoped not. Only a handful of people knew who her father was and she didn't think Nate was ready for that knowledge yet.

* * *

"So, can you hear anything?" Caitlyn asked as she pulled the dessert out of the oven.

Jason closed the kitchen door all the way. He'd been peeking out a small crack to try and hear how Nate's date was going. "Nope. Not a thing. They _look_ like it's going well though. Blushing, laughing, and some serious flirtatious looks."

"Oh, that's good."

"The flirting?"

"No, Nate laughing. He rarely laughs."

Jason chuckled. "Good point."

"Were they almost done with their salads?" Caitlyn asked.

Jason shook his head. "Give 'em another ten minutes before we serve the main entrée." Jason pulled out a chair from Nate's kitchen table. "Have a seat, Caity. Take a break."

"But dessert's not—"

"It has to cool. Take a seat," Jason said sternly. "You haven't stopped since we got here hours ago."

"Fine, if you insist," Caitlyn said with an amused glance as she sat down.

Jason sat down across from her. "So, what are we gonna eat?"

Caitlyn grinned. "You don't think I'd cook the same meal for us? As soon as Prince Charming and Cinder-Ella in there finish their salads we can serve the entrée and then eat our own food."

"Good, I'm starving," Jason said with a sigh. Caitlyn smiled softly at him before she moved to stand. "No, stay seated."

"What?" Caitlyn asked with a laugh. "I was just going to get you a salad."

"I'll get it," Jason said as he stood up. "You stay sitting down."

He walked over to the counter and made himself a salad. He set the salad bowl down on the table and then peeked out of the kitchen door to see if Nate and Ella had finished their salads yet. They were close but they still had a few minutes. He sat back down at the table and pushed his plate toward Caitlyn. "You know what, you eat first. I'll prepare their plates."

"I can do that, Jase."

"I know you can, but I want to. I feel like I haven't really done much tonight," Jason admitted. "Go ahead. Eat. I'll take care of this part."

"The hens are in the toaster oven. I wanted them to stay warm," Caitlyn told him.

He nodded and started putting everything on the plates. One Cornish game hen for each, asparagus wrapped in bacon and goat cheese, and potatoes and pearl onions. It looked delicious. He made three plates and placed one on the table in front of Caitlyn before picking up the other two and heading out to take them to Nate and Ella.

As he approached the table Nate and Ella were laughing loudly about something and he smiled. "Glad to see you two are having a good time. Done with your salads?"

"Yes," Ella said with a bright smile. "Tell Caitlyn it was delicious."

Jason nodded and set down her dinner plate. "She'll be happy to hear that."

He picked up her salad bowl as he set down Nate's plate and then picked up Nate's salad bowl.

Nate blinked at the food in front of him in shock. "Wow, when I asked Caitlyn to cook dinner I didn't expect this. This looks amazing. She went above and beyond."

"She always does," Jason said softly. "She's sort of an all or nothing kind of person."

Ella looked impressed and she nodded. "There's definitely a lot to respect about that. Tell her thank you for me."

"I will," Jason said with a smile. He liked Ella already. She was one hundred times better than the last girl Nate dated. "You two enjoy it."

Jason turned and headed back to the kitchen where he found Caitlyn eagerly chowing down on her salad. He smirked knowingly at her.

"I told you you needed to eat."

Caitlyn swallowed, rolled her eyes, and grinned. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in."

Jason placed the salad bowls in the sink and then made himself a salad and a dinner plate before he sat down across from Caitlyn and began to eat. He stopped for a moment to relay what Ella and Nate had told him. "They're both blown away by your skills, by the way. Ella wanted me to thank you and tell you it was delicious and Nate said you went above and beyond."

Caitlyn shrugged and smiled. "That was sweet of them, but I just…wanted to do something nice for a friend. No big deal."

Jason smiled affectionately at her. It was a big deal, and the fact that she didn't realize that made him fall even harder. She gave a lot to her friends and that was completely normal to her. Not everyone felt that way, but it was clear Caitlyn thought everyone _should_.

* * *

Ella smiled after Jason as he left and once the kitchen door swung closed she turned back to Nate. "Jason must care about Caitlyn a lot to do all of this to help her out. I mean I know he's your brother but there's no way he'd dress like that for _you_." Ella chuckled. "Besides the way he talks about her…it's clear she means a lot to him."

Nate nodded. "Now if only he'd admit it to her. Maybe then they'd get together and I wouldn't have to watch them come so close only to chicken out. Seriously, once a day one of them chickens out of making a move. I've seen it."

Ella grinned and laughed lightly. "Well, I'm sure it's scary to think about going from friends to something more. Change is always scary. Even good changes."

He smiled warmly at her. "I guess that's a fair point. So, I have an off topic question, but I have to know."

"Yes?"

"Have you really never heard _one_ Connect Three song?" Nate asked as his expression turned amused.

Ella laughed and blushed. "No, I haven't. I'm sorry. I've been listening to the same 100 CDs since I finished at the Institute."

"Okay," Nate said with a grin. "We're gonna have to do something about that."

Ella chuckled. "Fine with me. Now, I have an off topic question for you."

"Fire away," Nate said with a smirk.

"Do you like dinosaurs? Keep in mind that this is very important to me," Ella said with a grin and wink.

Nate laughed lightly and nodded. "Of course I do. Who doesn't like dinosaurs?"

"No idea, but I ask every new person I care to know that question just to make sure," Ella admitted with a smile. "I kind of have a _fascination_ with dinosaurs. I have since I was little."

Nate nodded as he took that in. "What do you mean by fascination?"

"I have numerous dino plushies hidden away under my bed, and I have a whole box of movies and books stored in the top of my closet. Most little girls pretended to be princesses or fairies…I pretended to be Ducky from _Land Before Time_," Ella said with a soft smile. "And _Jurassic Park_ is my all time favorite film series."

Nate grinned in amusement. "Seriously?"

Ella nodded and grinned at him. "Yep yep," She responded. She hoped he would get the _Land Before Time _reference.

Nate laughed at her Ducky imitation and smirked. "You don't still pretend to be Ducky, do you?"

Ella laughed. "No, definitely not."

"Just checking," Nate said with a wink.

"What about you?" Ella asked. "Any silly things I need to know?"

Nate flashed her a crooked grin. "Um, well, I'm a big science fiction nerd."

Her eyes widened and she smirked. "Oh, really? Any particular obsessions?"

"X-Files. I have every season on DVD. Also, _E.T._ was my favorite movie as a kid. I _might_ still have my E.T. stuffed animal in my bedroom closet. _Maybe_," Nate admitted hesitantly. "And I've practically worn out my copy of _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. I have it in both paperback and hardcover."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "I can respect that. I _like_ science fiction but I can't say I'm obsessed with it. I do own the original _Star Wars_ trilogy and _E.T._, though."

"We'll have to have a marathon sometime," Nate said with a small hopeful smile.

Ella blushed and agreed. "Yes, we definitely will."

They dug into their plates after that and made a bit of small talk in between bites. Nate was relieved to find that Ella seemed to understand his dry sense of humor better than most people and he certainly appreciated her more whimsical traits. A girl like Ella was rare and he doubted any one had appreciated her the way she deserved. He wasn't going to make that mistake. Once they were finished with their food Jason appeared again with two small dessert plates.

He sat the decadent dessert down in front of them first before he picked up their dinner plates. He cleared his throat and blushed furiously as he spoke up. "This—I was told to inform you that…this dessert is, um, is…Better Than Sex."

Ella nearly choked on her wine and Nate gave his brother a sharp look.

"_What?"_ Nate asked his brother fearfully.

"I mean! I mean…it's _called_ Better Than Sex. It's a cake called Better Than Sex. It's Better Than Sex Cake," Jason said frantically. "I, um, I'm just gonna go now. Enjoy!"

* * *

Jason rushed into the kitchen and dumped the plates into the sink. He turned around to face Caitlyn as she was cutting two more slices of cake. "That was a disaster. Why did you make that cake again?"

"To embarrass Nate," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

"Well, I think you embarrassed me more than him," Jason said as his blush deepened.

Caitlyn laughed and shoved a plate into his hands. "Aw, you poor baby. I'm pretty sure you're not as innocent as you seem, Gray." Caitlyn sat down at the table and motioned for Jason to join her. "We'll finish dessert first and then start the dishes."

Jason sat down but stared at the cake suspiciously. "What's in it?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Just try it, Jason. I mean what do you think? That I hid vegetables in it because I know you hate them?"

"You wouldn't?" Jason asked with wide eyes.

Caitlyn smirked. "Not _tonight_."

He continued to stare at it and Caitlyn huffed and got a piece of it onto her fork. She held it out toward Jason as if he were a baby and gave him an impatient glance. He looked between her face and the fork for several moments before Caitlyn suddenly shoved the forkful of cake into his mouth. She missed just a little and smeared half of it all over his chin.

She winced and laughed. "Whoops. My bad." A split second later her thumb ran across his chin and wiped the remaining chocolate cake away. Jason froze as she touched him and then watched with a gulp as she brought that thumb to her mouth. She sucked the icing and cake off of her thumb. Jason's eyes widened and stared at her dazedly as he ate his own bite of cake.

Caitlyn suddenly realized what she'd done and blushed brightly as her eyes connected with Jason's. What had she been thinking? She might as well have _licked_ the cake off of his face. He looked…_horrified_.

She bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. "I—um, sorry. I shouldn't have…I wasn't really thinking."

Jason swallowed as an awkward silence stretched out between them. Finally, he spoke, "That's good cake."

Caitlyn cleared her throat and gave Jason a grateful look. She nodded and wiped her face with her napkin. "Yes, yes it is."

"So," Jason said as he changed the subject. "Nate and Ella seem to really be hitting it off."

"Good, I was afraid I'd really scared her off for a moment," Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

"If it was anyone else I think you would have, but Ella seems to _really_ like Nate. You got lucky, Gellar," Jason said with a smirk. "You asked her some _awkward_ questions."

"And she survived," Caitlyn said with a respectful nod. "That's a point in her favor."

"I wanna know how you'd react if someone asked _you_ those questions," Jason said with a smirk. "You'd probably haul off and punch them in the gut."

"Damn right I would," Caitlyn said as she put another bite of cake on her fork. "No one knows my number but me and _maybe_ the guy I choose to be involved with."

Jason was dying to ask exactly what her _number _was, but he didn't want to get punched in the stomach. Caitlyn had a pretty strong arm. But he couldn't stop himself from asking the other question she'd asked Ella. "Just out of curiosity, how many relationship have you been in since you started dating?" He paused as she looked up at him. "Please don't hit me."

She rolled her eyes and smiled softly at him. "I would never hit you, Jason. Not in a way that would cause any serious damage, at least."

"You, um, you don't have to answer that," Jason told her hesitantly. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No," Caitlyn said as she took a bite of her cake. She swallowed before she continued. "It's okay. The answer is two. One in high school and one since I moved out here. Both guys were completely wrong for me. I just couldn't see that at the time. What about you?"

"Four," Jason answered quickly. "Two before all the Connect Three insanity went down, and two since. Only one of them was an actual healthy relationship that just…wasn't meant to be."

Caitlyn smirked at him. "The girls must really like you, Bird Man."

He smiled softly and shrugged. "Some do, but most like my money."

Caitlyn nudged his hand with hers and winked at him. "Not me. I'm in it for the fame."

Jason chuckled and shook his head. "Gee, I appreciate your honesty."

"Seriously, Jase. You'll find someone who meets your standards. She's out there. You just have to know what you're looking for," Caitlyn told him. "For instance, I want to be a guy's Marion Ravenwood. Feisty, stubborn, a wiseass and yet completely loved for it no matter how frustrating I am. Maybe I'm dreaming too big, but I refuse to settle for anything less."

Jason smiled warmly at her. "You and your _Indiana Jones_. If you're looking for a young Harrison Ford, Caity, then I think they're few and far between."

"He doesn't have to be a young Harrison Ford," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "He just has to _see_ me, and by that I mean _see through _me."

"See through you?" Jason asked.

"I don't know if you've noticed but I have a wall of B.S. that tends to keep people at arms length—"

"I've noticed," Jason said with a faint smile.

"I figured. Because of that, I need someone who'll call me on it and break that wall down no matter how much I scream and kick and protest," Caitlyn admitted honestly. "_That's _what I want, and it's more difficult to find than one would think."

"You never know," Jason said with a sigh. "Maybe it's there and you just don't know it."

"Maybe," Caitlyn said quietly. "What about you? What do you want?"

"Well," Jason said thoughtfully. "Unlike you, I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and, more than anything else, I want someone who won't take advantage of that. Someone who isn't afraid to let me be…_weird_ and maybe someone who doesn't mind being weird _with me_. Someone who likes that I'm a dreamer, but manages to keep my dreams based in reality. And someone who's independent enough to survive a three month summer tour without me and yet who needs me enough to truly miss me while I'm gone. That's what _I_ want."

"Wow," Caitlyn said with a sarcastic grin. "You don't want much, huh?"

"Aim high," Jason said with a smirk. "That's what I always say."

Caitlyn's eyes landed on her empty plate and she sighed. "We should start the dishes. Nate and Ella are probably going to want to be alone soon, don't you think?"

Jason chuckled and nodded. "I'm pretty certain of it."

Caitlyn nodded and picked up her plate before she crossed the kitchen to the sink. All this talk about relationships was starting to hit a little too close to home for her. What she actually wanted…was Jason, but she wasn't sure he was ready to hear that yet. Caitlyn ran the water and filled the sink with soapy water and dishes. While she did this her nose itched so she reached up to scratch just as Jason approached the sink with his empty dessert plate.

"Alright, I'm gonna go get Nate and Ella's dessert plat—Um, Caitlyn?" Jason said in an amused tone.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You have suds on your nose," Jason told her with a chuckle. He immediately reached forward and wiped the bubbles away gently. His fingers hesitated for a second too long when they grazed over her cheek and Caitlyn gulped. Had he meant to do that? Jason suddenly pulled his eyes from hers and cleared his throat. "I'll be back with more dishes."

He turned and left the kitchen and Caitlyn immediately slouched against the counter. Maybe he hadn't meant anything and she'd been overanalyzing it. That wouldn't surprise her one bit. "Stop it, Caitlyn." She muttered to herself. "He's your _friend_. You were totally imagining it."


	9. Chapter 9

Working Girls

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

* * *

Nate walked Jason and Caitlyn to his apartment door and stopped them just before they left. "Thanks for making dinner tonight, Caitlyn. You outdid yourself."

Caitlyn smiled at him and patted his cheek. "I did my part, Nathaniel. Now you do yours and _don't screw this up_. She's sweet. Please _try_ and keep her around for a while."

Nate rolled his eyes and motioned through his open door. "Gee, thanks for the advice. You can go now."

"Touchy," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "What? Was it something I said?"

Jason smirked at her and shook his head. He patted Nate's shoulder before he spoke. "Have fun, man. But not too much fun, got it?"

"Got it," Nate said with a tired sigh. "Now, go home so I can be alone with my date, please."

"Okay, okay, we're gone," Jason said as he led Caitlyn out the door and down the hall.

Nate shut his door quickly and said a prayer that Caitlyn didn't forget anything. He walked back into his living room and found Ella looking at the small selection of framed pictures that were sitting out in the room. She had picked one up and was studying it closely. He could tell which one it was by the frame.

"That's from a trip my uncle took us on when we were kids. We went camping on some property he was thinking about buying."

Ella turned and smiled softly at him. "Well, it looks like you had fun."

"We did. Uncle Brown really likes camping, but he hasn't had much time to go in several years. I think that trip was the one time Shane managed to survive without hair product."

Ella laughed as she set the picture back down. "Shane is the brother in between you and Jason right?"

"Yes, he would be the attention seeking middle brother," Nate answered with a smirk. "Our personalities are pretty text book, honestly. Jason's the older, protective, and almost parental one. Shane loves attention and is hardly ever serious. And then there's me. The youngest one who doesn't crack many jokes because—"

"You want to be taken seriously," Ella finished for him with a soft smile. "I can kinda see that. And by that I mean it's _very_ obvious."

Nate cleared his throat nervously. "Does that mean you think I'm _too_ serious?"

Ella shook her head and smiled brighter. "No, definitely not. That just means that I've noticed it. So, did your uncle buy that property?"

Nate blinked at her for a moment before he remembered what had led them to this conversation. "Oh, um, no. He decided what he wanted to do with it probably wasn't profitable or practical enough."

"What did he want to do with it?" Ella asked curiously as she turned and approached him.

"He wanted to start a music camp," Nate told her. "For kids and teenagers. He's always enjoyed teaching, but I guess he decided that wasn't the career he wanted."

"That's sad," Ella said with a frown. "I think that sounds like a fun job." Her frown turned into a faint smile and she bit her bottom lip before she asked him a question. "Would you ever do that?"

"Do what?" Nate asked.

"Teach," Ella clarified. "Would you ever take a job teaching kids about music?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't know. I've never thought about it before."

"If I could teach kids about fashion design or even just sewing I think I would do it," Ella said thoughtfully.

"I don't really get along with kids very well. Never have," Nate admitted.

"Have you ever tried?" Ella asked with an amused grin.

"Um, well, no I guess not," Nate said.

"Then that's probably why you don't get along with them, silly," Ella told him with a chuckle. "So, now what? Now, that we're officially alone, what are we going to do?"

Nate blinked at her. "I…I don't know. Is there something you would like to do?"

"Well," Ella said with a shy smile. "Is there any chance Caitlyn left behind more of that cake? I could go for a second piece."

Nate smirked at her and chuckled. "I'll go check. You can have a seat if you want. Make yourself at home."

Nate headed to the kitchen and quickly spotted the cake sitting on his kitchen table. There was a note stuck on top of the dessert plates Caitlyn left out. Nate picked it up and glanced over it. He groaned and blushed in embarrassment. He was glad Ella wasn't around to read this.

_So, I've got a lot on this, Nate. Jason and I made a bet and I'm gonna need you to seal the deal tonight. Okay? I left you some eggs and vegetables for omelets in the morning. Enough for __two__. –C_

_Don't listen to her, bro. Be the gentleman I know our parents raised you to be. Seriously, get her home before sunrise. Stay classy, little brother. –J_

He rolled his eyes and crumpled the paper into a ball. He threw it toward the kitchen trashcan and didn't bother picking it up when he missed. He didn't need Shoulder Angel Jason and Shoulder Devil Caitlyn tonight. He was already nervous enough.

* * *

"I can't believe I let you talk me into that bet," Jason said as he held his car door open for her.

"Oh, come on, it's all in fun. Nate will ignore whatever we do anyway. You know that," Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

"Still, a bet like that feels kind of…dirty," Jason said before he shut the door and walked around the car. Caitlyn watched him get in before she responded.

"No, dirty would be betting on _how _they do it. Not when," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

Jason groaned and buried his face in his hands. "That is not an image I needed to think about, Caitlyn."

"But you did and now you'll never forget it," Caitlyn said with an evil grin. "Does your mind hang out in the gutter often, Jase?"

He blushed as he started the car. "Not _often_. Just…on occasion."

"What _kind_ of occasions?" Caitlyn asked in amusement.

"I, um…rare ones."

Caitlyn scoffed and laughed. "Yeah, right. You're a guy. A guy's mind practically _lives_ in the gutter."

"I don't live there," Jason told her. "I just vacation there."

Jason pulled out of the parking space and headed out of the parking garage. As he turned onto the street Caitlyn stretched tiredly and yawned. As she arched her back and raised her arms over her head Jason couldn't help but stare. He gulped nervously and tried to fight his thoughts. Caitlyn was right. His mind did live in the gutter. His car suddenly hit a bump and his eyes jerked back toward the road. He was driving on the curb.

"Jase! You might want to drive _on the road_," Caitlyn said as she winced and grabbed the middle armrest.

"Sorry," Jason muttered with as he inwardly cursed his stupidity. "So, what are the terms of our bet?"

"Oh! Um," Caitlyn said thoughtfully. "One day of slavery and servitude?"

Jason's mind immediately began to go sinful places so he cleared his throat and shook his head. "You'd take far too much advantage of that."

She pouted for a moment before she continued. "Fine, what about spending one evening doing whatever the winner wants to do? No arguments or backing out."

Jason thought for a moment as he pulled up to a stoplight. "Sounds reasonable enough." He nodded and smiled at Cailtyn. "Deal."

"Sweet," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "I'm so gonna win. You could cut the chemistry in Nate's apartment with a knife. Throw in my delicious Better Than Sex cake and the two of them won't be able to stop themselves."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Wishful thinking, Caity." He smiled knowingly at her. "Nate's too much of a gentleman."

"I'll admit that he tends to be a stick in the mud," Caitlyn said with a nod. "But he's _very _into Ella and she's definitely into him. I think he might break his rules for her."

"But you're not taking Ella's rules into account," Jason told her. "She doesn't seem the type to go all out on the first date."

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip and squinted her eyes thoughtfully. "I don't really know Ella so I consider her a wild card. She could go either way."

"You're shameless," Jason said with a light laugh.

"Yes, I am," Caitlyn said proudly. "Listen, Jase. I just…wanted to thank you for helping me tonight. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Anything for you, Caity," Jason said quietly as he watched her stretch again and lean against the passenger side window. She yawned and her eyes closed slowly. As the light turned green Jason wondered if Caitlyn had _any_ idea how truly serious he was about his last statement.

* * *

Ella pulled one of her legs underneath her as she set her dessert plate on Nate's coffee table. She angled her body towards his and smiled sweetly at him. "So, how did you get Caitlyn to agree to cook us dinner?"

"I told her she owed me for almost scaring you away," Nate said with a smirk.

Ella laughed and nodded. "Well, I'm glad she came to my shop then. Otherwise she wouldn't have made us that cake. And I _loved_ that cake."

Nate chuckled. "I'll have to blackmail her to make you another one then. Trust me, I have plenty of information to use against her."

"You talk like she's your sister or something," Ella said with a smile.

"She's with us all the time so that's kind of what she's become," Nate told her.

"Not to Jason," Ella said with a chuckle.

"No, not to him."

"I really hope I'm never in that situation," Ella said. "You know, where I like someone and they like me but neither of us have the guts to just admit _how much_."

Nate smiled softly at her. "I don't think you will be."

Her eyes widened and she smiled shyly. "Oh, really? You don't? Why's that?"

"Because I, um—well, we're starting from a place where we both _know_ that we_ like_ each other, right?" Nate asked.

Ella smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Silence filled the room as they shared lingering looks and soft smiles before Ella spoke up again.

"I've had a very good time tonight, Nate. It's been a long time since I've had someone seem so genuinely curious about me," Ella said with a teasing wink. "You asked some very good questions."

Nate chuckled and shrugged. "You go through enough interviews and you start to pick up some things. You impressed me though. It's been a long time for me too, you know. Most people are more interested in my image and my career than actually getting to know the _real_ Nate. You were actually listening to me when I spoke. It was refreshing."

Ella blushed. "Well, what else would I do when someone talks?"

"Most people don't really listen to the words I say," Nate said softly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Or that's what it feels like, at least."

Ella reached forward and laced her fingers through his. "I'm listening. I don't mind listening. In fact, it's been said that I'm fairly good at it."

Nate smiled and squeezed her hand. "I'll keep that in mind."

Both sets of eyes landed on their joined hands before they connected again. Ella smiled and scooted a little closer to Nate. "So, I think we've learned quite a bit about each other tonight, don't you?"

Nate nodded. "I'd say so."

"Any other questions we need to discuss?" Ella asked with a smirk as she scooted once more and her legs brushed his. "Or are we all…_talked_ out?" Nate quirked a brow at her and then smiled knowingly. When he didn't respond Ella smiled mischievously and backed away from him slightly. "Because if we are…I could just..._go home_. It is getting awfully late, you know."

Nate instinctively reached out for Ella's hand and pulled her closer again. The last thing he wanted was for her to go home. He was having too much fun to have the night end early. "Don't. Don't leave." His hands went around her waist and before he could stop himself he had Ella pressed flush against him. "I'm not ready for you to leave yet."

Ella blushed prettily and beamed at him. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Nate dipped his head lower and gulped nervously as his lips hovered over hers. First kisses always worried him. A bad first kiss could ruin everything and a good one…well a good one could indicate something amazing was ahead of them. While Nate was thinking things over Ella snaked her arms around his neck and then impatiently pulled his lips down to hers. His eyes widened in surprise and he tensed all over for a moment, but a split second later his eyes closed and he allowed himself to _sink_ into it.

He had nothing to be nervous about. This kiss was more than he'd ever expected. Ella had taken control at first. She moved her lips against his and waited for him to respond, but he was having too much fun letting her take the lead. She nipped very gently on his bottom lip and then moved to pull away. Nate groaned as the pressure of her lips lessened before he quickly tugged her back to him and forcefully pressed his lips to hers. Apparently, it was his turn to take the lead and he was more than happy to oblige.

Her arms tightened around his neck as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss. She'd practically pulled herself into his lap and he didn't mind at all. He continued to kiss her as he laid her back against his couch. They adjusted to spread out across it but their lips never separated.

Ella could have melted into his couch right then and there. He was a _very good_ kisser. Of course, it had been a long time since she'd been kissed senseless. And that's exactly what he was doing. But compared to her limited experience Nate was by far the best. Not too forceful, but not too soft. She didn't feel like he was trying to swallow her whole but she could tell he _wanted to_. Her arms were covered in goose bumps as his hands traveled up her back slowly and into her hair. He tangled his hands in the ends of her hair and then suddenly pulled his lips away from hers.

She was tempted to say something in protest but stopped short when his lips landed on the curve of her neck. She'd underestimated Nate. When his nerves had caused him to stall earlier she'd thought that was a sign that he would be very…_timid_.

But he definitely was _not_ timid.

He kissed down her neck and Ella couldn't help but arch against him as he reached her collar bone. He stopped for a split second then his lips covered hers again. There was more urgency this time around and Ella had pulled him as close as she possibly could. His hands moved from her hair to her shoulders and then slowly grazed the length of her upper arms. It tickled just a little and caused Ella to suck in a breath and then shiver. She dug her hands into his curls in response and wrapped her fingers around a few of them. Nate groaned against her mouth and she shivered again.

If this was what happened after the first date then Nate was a little afraid of what would happen after their second. And that was the thought that brought him back to the present.

First date. This was supposed to be a first date.

He reluctantly pried his lips away from Ella's. He smiled warmly at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. She blinked and then looked up at him. Her eyes were clouded over in confusion until he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She suddenly blushed a deep crimson all the way to the tips of her ears and smiled brightly.

"That was…" Ella gulped and took a deep breath. "_Phew_. It's a little warm in here, I think."

Nate laughed as they untangled themselves and sat up on his couch. "Just a bit. You're, um, _very_ good at that."

"I was about to say the same thing about you," Ella said as she ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to fix it. "You, kind of, surprised me, actually."

"I did?" Nate asked with a smirk.

"You seemed kind of nervous at first, but…_wow_. You finished strong, Mr. Gray."

Nate laughed loudly at that and bowed his head at her. "Why, thank you. I appreciate the review."

"You're very welcome," Ella said as she gave up on her hair and just let it fall across her shoulders.

The ends brushed her skin and tempted Nate all over again but he shook himself out of it. This could get out of control very easily if he wasn't careful.

* * *

Jason parked along the curb and then got out to open Caitlyn's door for her. He helped her out of his SUV and immediately noticed her very long yawn. She leaned against his shoulder ever so slightly and he smirked at her.

"Tired, Caity?"

"No," She lied. "Not a bit."

He opened the door to the stairs that led to her apartment door. She lived above a store front and so he walked her up the stairs to her front door. He grinned at her as she yawned again.

"So," She asked once she was finished yawning. "How are we going to figure out who won the bet? Nate won't talk no matter what happens. You know how private he is."

"Oh, good point. I hadn't thought about that," Jason said thoughtfully.

"Well, you could…_stay_ for a bit," Caitlyn suggested. "If Nate's going to bring Ella home he'll do so in the next hour or so. We could hang out. I have coffee and Oreo cookies."

Jason chuckled and nodded. "Sure, why not? Who am I to refuse coffee and Oreos?"

Caitlyn unlocked her door and led Jason into her apartment. She threw her purse down and then immediately started the coffee in the kitchen. Jason watched as she quickly got out the Oreos and then ran back to her bedroom. "I'm just gonna change clothes. I'll be right back."

"Okay, I'll be here."

Caitlyn chuckled and then called back, "Promise?"

"Promise!"

He sat down on her couch and leaned his head back. He stretched and yawned and ran a hand through his curls. The coffee maker beeped and Jason quickly stood back up. He was going to need coffee to stay awake and wait for Nate and Ella and _then_ drive home. He fixed two cups. One for himself and one for Caitlyn and then pulled out a plate to put a few of the Oreos on. He took all of it over to the living room coffee table and sat back down on the couch to wait for Caitlyn.

Finally she pranced back into the room in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of camo cotton shorts. The t-shirt had to be at least a size 3X and had the _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ poster printed on it. He gulped and looked away at first because the shirt nearly hid all sign of the shorts. On her feet were a pair of socks covered in little mustaches and then slippers that resembled the Killer Rabbit from _Monty Python_. Her Pikachu plush was tucked under her arm as she sat down next to him and got comfortable on the couch. She tucked her bare legs underneath her and then reached for her cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Jase. Just one sugar, right?"

He nodded. "Right."

"And a _touch_ of creamer?" Caitlyn asked.

Jason nodded. "Trust me, Caity. By now I know how you like your coffee."

"Okay then," Caitlyn said with an amused smile. "From now on I'll trust you with my coffee."

She took a long sip and then reached for her TV remote. Jason took that moment to look over her appearance one more time. She looked adorable. Comfy, geeky, and adorable. But her bare legs were killing him. They were taunting him slowly. He quickly glanced away from her and picked up his own cup of coffee. He was going to have to avoid looking at Caitlyn below her shoulders.

* * *

Nate led Ella out of his apartment and down the hall. He decided to let the valet bring around his car instead of going down to the garage himself. So once the elevator stopped at the lobby level he talked to the doorman to get someone to bring his Mustang around and he and Ella waited inside the lobby. He suddenly felt Ella slip her hand into his and he smiled brightly at her before he tightened his hold on her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

He saw his car come around outside and then he saw several bright flashes following it. He immediately groaned and pulled Ella around to the back of one of the building's support beams. The Doorman was used to the photographers so he immediately jumped into action. He gathered the buildings security team and they pushed the photographers back to the edge of the building's driveway. Nate hadn't realized he pulled Ella against him and _tucked_ her into his chest. Both of his arms were around her and her cheek was resting against his chest. She glanced up at him when he turned toward her and gave him a questioning look.

"What was that?"

"Paparazzi," Nate said with a sigh. "They recognized my car."

"So, what do we do?" Ella asked.

"The staff will take care of it. We just have to wait it out," Nate told her. "Normally I would just dive into it and not really pay them any attention, but I was hoping to avoid them tonight. Since…it's not just _me_ right now."

"Thank you for that," Ella said softly as she looked away from him. "Really, I'd rather avoid them so I appreciate this."

"No problem," Nate said as he gave her a reassuring hug. "Believe it or not, I do remember the first time this really became a problem for me. It was scary. It still _is_ scary, honestly."

The doorman appeared again and nodded at Nate to signal the coast was clear. Nate quickly tipped him and shook his hand before leading Ella to the car. He wanted to get out before the photographers found their way back in. One of the security guards opened the passenger side door for Ella and let her in first. She gulped and gave him a nervous smile before she ducked inside the car. The large intimidating man shut the door and then Nate tipped him as well. The people that worked in his building did an excellent job and he'd found that large tips were the best way to encourage them to keep it up. He walked around the car and stepped inside. He sat down and cast a worried glance at Ella. She hadn't even seen the paparazzi and yet she looked white as a sheet.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked. "If it's about the pap—"

She turned and smiled at him. "No, no I'm fine. I promise."

"Are you sure?" Nate asked with a furrowed brow.

She nodded quickly. "I'm sure. Really, let's just…_drive_. Please."

Nate nodded and stepped on the gas. "You got it."

He raced toward Ella's apartment and made sure to watch for anyone who might be following them. He didn't see anyone and breathed a sigh of relief. "I, um, hope that incident back there didn't put a damper on the whole night. I still had a wonderful time, Ella."

She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "It didn't. This date was _still_ a success, Nate. The food was great, the conversation was even better, and the…the kissing was _exceptional_." She blushed as she said the last sentence and he smiled at her in amusement.

"Yes, yes it was," Nate said with a wink as he reached over and took her hand.

They reached her apartment quicker than he would have liked but he parallel parked and then got out of the car to open her door for her. He held out his hand to help her step out and she continued to hold it even after she'd gotten out of the car. She laced her fingers through his as he closed the door and then she led him toward the stairs that went up to her apartment. She unlocked the glass door and as she did so a voice drifted across the street.

"_Damn it, Nate!"_

Nate blushed in embarrassment as he recognized the voice and then closed his eyes tight. Maybe that didn't happen. He heard Ella giggle and knew that it had. "Sorry, that was—"

"Caitlyn," Ella finished for him. "I could tell." She got the glass door open and then bit her bottom lip nervously. "Are you going to walk me to my door?"

Nate grinned at her and nodded. "Have I or have I not been a gentleman for _most _of the night?"

Ella laughed as she stepped through the glass door. "I love how you threw the word most in there."

"It's the truth," Nate smirked. "I was only a gentleman for _most_ of the night."

They walked up the stairs and Ella leaned against her door when they reached it. "Well, I really hope we do this again soon, Nate."

Nate nodded immediately. "Oh, we will. Trust me. I'll call you."

"Now do you actually mean you'll call me or is that the polite guy-speak for 'nice to meet you but no'?" Ella asked as she bit her bottom lip again.

"I actually mean that I'll call you," Nate promised as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer once more. "Really, Ella, I had _a lot_ of fun tonight and I'm _going_ to arrange a second date. I have a lot to learn about you and I _cannot_ wait to get started."

Ella smiled brightly and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I can't wait either."

Nate leaned down and placed a very gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled away and smiled softly. "Good. And next time you get to decide what we do."

Ella's eyes widened and she grinned. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy that. I can already tell. Alright, well, then I guess this is good night."

Nate nodded. "Yes, good night. And I will talk to you _very_ soon."

Ella nodded before she quickly rose up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around Nate's neck. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him slowly. She pulled away with a smirk at the shocked look on Nate's face. She giggled as she unlocked her apartment door. "Good night, Nate. I had a truly _fantastic_ time."

Nate's shocked look slowly transformed into a smile and he waved mutely as Ella shut her door.

"You're something else, Ella Pador, and I plan to figure out just _what_ that something is," Nate muttered to himself with a grin as he turned and headed back down the stairs. Oh, yes, this date had definitely been a success.


	10. Chapter 10

Working Girls

* * *

_Chapter Ten_

* * *

Jason woke up and blinked several times before he took in his surroundings. He was not in his house. He was somewhere much smaller. Arms tightened around his chest and he felt someone snuggle into him and he immediately glanced down the brunette head resting on his chest.

He was at Caitlyn's. Apparently, they'd fallen asleep on her couch after Nate had dropped Ella off. The TV was still on and blaring loudly. He could see their empty mugs and the small plate that still had a couple of Oreos on it resting on the coffee table. He gulped at the feeling of Caitlyn's arms around him. His arms were around her as well and he had to admit that nothing ever felt so right.

She whined softly as she heard her Indiana Jones alarm from her bedroom and then huffed as her eyes slowly opened. He watched as her eyes landed on his white button up shirt and as she quickly tensed up.

"Oh God, um, Jase?" Caitlyn asked as she refused to look up.

He chuckled. "Yes?"

"You're still here? What happened?"

"I think we fell asleep while watching TV," Jason said as he patted her back. "And you apparently confused me with a body pillow."

Caitlyn blushed and sat up. "We have to be at work in an hour."

Jason groaned. "I don't have any clothes to change into."

Caitlyn chuckled and smirked. "Then I guess you'll just have to go to work dressed as a snooty waiter."

"Well, I'm at least going to wash off the mustache."

"No!" Caitlyn exclaimed with a grin. "It's my art work! You can't do that!"

"Caitlyn, I am not going into the studio with an eyeliner mustache on my face."

"Fine, then keep the cummerbund on. You either keep the mustache or the cummerbund, Rock Star. Take your pick," Caitlyn told him with a smirk.

"Caity," Jason whined. "That's not fair! You know, I won the bet. I'm the one that should be gloating and mean."

"You couldn't be gloating and mean even if you _wanted_ to be," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"Mustache," Jason muttered as he took off the cummerbund.

Caitlyn chuckled and nodded. "Good choice. You know, your clothes from yesterday are probably still in your car. You could at least wear the jeans."

Jason's eyes widened and he nodded. "Yes! I could! I totally forgot about that!"

"Seriously, what would you do without me?" Caitlyn asked with a wink as she walked off toward her bedroom.

"And what would you do if I wasn't around to give you a ride to work?" Jason asked with a quirked brow.

"Fair point," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "I guess we're even."

She shut her bedroom door and Jason shook his head in amusement. He started another pot of coffee and then went downstairs to his car to get out the jeans he was wearing yesterday. He saw Ella unlocking her shop and waved to her as he caught her eye. Her eyebrows rose and she stared at him for a moment before she smiled slowly and waved.

"Good morning, Jason," Ella called from across the street. "Did you, um, sleep over?"

Jason's eyes widened. "Oh! Um, sort of, but by accident. We were watching television. That's it. I swear."

Ella laughed and nodded. "I believe you. See you later, Jason!"

"Um, bye Ella!" Jason called as she stepped inside of her store. Well, that was only mildly awkward, Jason thought as he quickly headed back up Caitlyn's stairs.

He ducked into Caitlyn's bathroom and threw on the jeans . He came out of the bathroom just as Caitlyn came out of her bedroom. She smiled and looked him up and down. "Very nice."

He chuckled and glanced over her outfit as well. It was very eclectic and very Caitlyn. A black professional skirt, a yellow t-shirt with the words "dream it, wish it, do it" printed on it, a grey cardigan with a wide lapel that almost resembled a blazer, and black oxfords with white and black polka dotted socks sticking out of them. Her hair fell across her shoulders in gentle waves and he noticed she hadn't put on her make up yet. He thought she looked completely adorable. "You too."

"I smell coffee. Did you make coffee?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes I did," Jason said proudly. "I knew you would want some."

"Can you make me a cup and bring it to me? I'm gonna be in the bathroom doing my make up," Caitlyn asked.

Jason nodded. "I can do that."

"Thank you," Caitlyn said as she turned and stepped into the bathroom. "You're the best."

* * *

"Hey, mom," Mitchie said as she walked through the door of the Café. "Good morning."

"Morning, sweetie," Connie said. "I've got those sandwiches ready for you." She handed Mitchie a white paper bag and then handed her two Styrofoam cups with lids on them. "And fresh brewed hot tea for you and Ella. Make sure you tell me everything she tells you. I wanna know how this date went too."

Mitchie laughed and kissed her mother's cheek. "Will do. Thanks for breakfast."

"My pleasure," Connie told her. "Tell Ella I'm sending lunch over there at one o'clock whether she orders it or not. A girl as tiny as her does not need to skip a meal no matter how busy she is."

Mitchie chuckled as she headed to the door. "Yes, ma'am, I'll pass along the message."

Mitchie left her mother's café and walked down the street to Ella's shop. She spotted Ella leaning against her counter with a dreamy smile and smirked. She was guessing the date went well. The bell rang as she opened the door and Ella looked up eagerly.

"Mitchie! I have so much to tell you! Oh my God. Best date ever!"

Mitchie laughed and placed the white paper bag and the cups of tea on the counter. "Good thing I brought breakfast then. Right?"

Ella grabbed the bag and ripped it open. "Connie's croissant sandwich, yes? With eggs and bacon and cheese?"

Mitchie nodded. "And tea because my mother knows that both are your favorites."

"Your mom is seriously the best ever," Ella said as she quickly unwrapped one of the sandwiches. "I'm starving."

"She's also sending you lunch at one as a way to force you into a lunch break. She knows you skip it sometimes. Don't ask me how. I didn't tell," Mitchie said with a smirk.

"Of course she knows," Ella said with a chuckle. "Connie knows all."

"Okay, so take a bite then swallow and _then_ tell me the story," Mitchie said with a grin. "I have to leave for work soon and I'm _dying_ to know what happened."

Ella took a big bite and a big sip of tea to wash it down before she took a deep breath and sighed happily. "Well, we went over to his place—"

"On the first date?"

"_For dinner_," Ella said as she grinned at Mitchie and rolled her eyes. "That sentence wasn't over, you know."

"Oh, so he made you dinner?"

"Um, no, Caitlyn did and she had Jason serve it. It was really cute. He was dressed like a waiter and even had this fake mustache. But it was all very romantic. There were candles and flowers and dimmed lighting and we _talked_. I mean seriously _talked. _I've never talked to a guy as much as I talked to him. He actually _cared_ about what I said. It was just…_wonderful_."

"And is that all you did?" Mitchie asked in a bored tone. "_Talk_?"

Ella laughed and shook her head. "Of course not. We did…other things too."

"What _kinds_ of other things?" Mitchie asked with a grin.

"We made out and it got _really_ intense. I almost forgot it was just a first date for a minute there."

"Oh, wow," Mitchie said with a sigh of her own. "I haven't been kissed like _that_ in a very long time."

Ella blushed as she thought about it and smiled secretively. "It was _very_ enjoyable."

Mitchie laughed at Ella's blush and glowing smile. "It _looks_ like it. You're pink all over."

"I like him a lot, Mitch. _A lot_."

"And the fame thing doesn't bother you anymore?" Mitchie asked worriedly.

Ella groaned and buried her head in her hands. "I don't know. We _almost_ ran into some photographers last night, and _all_ I could think about was…was…"

"Your mother?" Mitchie asked knowingly.

"Yes!" Ella said in a frustrated tone. "The things she used to tell me all came rushing back, but…I can't just _not_ give him a chance. He's…he's so…I just really—I think I could seriously fall for this guy, Mitchie. I have to see this through."

Mitchie nodded. "I can understand that."

Ella sighed and gulped. "Anyway, how did it go with Shane? Was yesterday terribly awkward like you thought it would be?"

"Yes and no," Mitchie answered. "Shane was fine. Tess wasn't. Apparently she and Shane used to date."

"Oh lord," Ella said with a wince. "Please tell me it ended amicably?"

"I don't think so," Mitchie told her.

"Did he flirt with you again?" Ella asked with a grin. "Please say yes."

"Yes, he did, but it's not like it matters. Nothing's going to happen."

"Oh come on!" Ella exclaimed. "He _likes_ you!"

"He's liked _a lot_ of girls in his life, Ella. From what I've heard none of them ended well," Mitchie said with a shake of her head. "He's cute and he's talented but…I don't want to be _just another girl."_

"He's Nate and Jason's brother. He can't be that bad. I mean the same people that raised those two raised him and they're _great_ guys," Ella said. "Maybe you're different?"

"I've seen no evidence that I'm _different_."

"Have you seen any evidence that you're not?" Ella asked with a pointed stare.

"No," Mitchie admitted. "But I've been warned about him. By _multiple_ people."

"Have you asked Caitlyn about him?" Ella asked curiously. "She seems like someone who'd be brutally honest _and_ she seems to know those three guys really well."

"He hasn't even asked me out, Ella. This all seems pretty premature. Maybe he doesn't intend to even ask me. He might just be a flirt," Mitchie suggested.

"Now you're just making up excuses to ignore the issue," Ella told her. "You like him. Just a bit. And it scares you. Admit it."

"I have good reason to be scared. He's got a trail of broken hearts behind him and my _boss_ doesn't want me to date him. This could end in disaster, heartbreak, and _unemployment_. I think my fear is justified," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"I think you should ask Caitlyn about him. She'll give you an honest and unbiased opinion," Ella told her. "When you see her at the studio you should ask what she thinks of Shane. And if he asks you out I think you should _think_ about saying yes. At least give him one date to prove himself."

"I don't know," Mitchie said before she took a sip of her tea. "Maybe."

* * *

The minute Caitlyn walked through the door of the studio Shane pulled her away from Jason. He dragged her toward the back corner of the room by her elbow. He could feel Caitlyn glaring at the back of his head.

"What the hell, Shane?" She asked as they stopped and she snatched her elbow out of his grasp.

"I need to ask you something. Well, I need to ask a girl. Tess hates me and this question _concerns_ Mitchie so that leaves you."

"Gee, I feel so flattered," Caitlyn said flatly.

"Do I stand a chance with Mitchie Torres?" Shane asked quickly.

"Um, let me think," Caitlyn said sarcastically. "No. No, you do not."

"What?" Shane asked in shock. "Why?"

"Because every assistant, secretary, and receptionist in this town has been warned about you, Shane. You have a love 'em and leave 'em reputation and _nice_ girls just don't want that," Caitlyn said honestly.

"And Mitchie Torres is a _nice_ girl?" Shane asked.

"Yes, a nice _normal_ girl."

"So then what do I do to win her over?"

"Do?" Caitlyn asked with a chuckle. "Shane, it's not gonna happen. Give it up."

"But I want something to happen!" Shane said with a pathetic groan.

"Well, you don't always get what you want, Diva. Deal with it."

"You are the worst advice giver ever," Shane told her with a glare.

"Hence why I am not an advice columnist," Cailtyn said as she rolled her eyes.

"Why does your advice to everyone else seem so much better?" Shane asked.

"Because no one else has a love life as crappy as yours, Pop star."

"Wow, thanks for that."

"You're welcome. Are we done?"

Shane rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Go run back to Jason. I know you want to."

"Thank you," Caitlyn said as she patted his shoulder and then jogged back over to where Jason sat on the couch in the studio.

Shane's eyes widened when he finally looked his older brother in the face. "What's on your face, dude? Did Caitlyn draw on you while you were sleeping again?"

Caitlyn laughed and smiled secretively at Jason. "Oh no, he was awake. He just can't seem to say no to me when I ask him to do something."

Jason glared at her playfully. "And I always thought you were oblivious to that fact."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Jason, last tour I convinced you to stage dive into a group of fangirls. If I can convince you to do that then I can convince you to do anything."

Shane smirked at them. "I remember that. Jason surfaced with a few chunks of hair missing and Brown had a meltdown."

"Speaking of Brown," Jason said as the door opened and their uncle entered the room.

"Morning, mates. Tess called to say she'd be late," Brown said as he sat down at the control panel.

They still needed Nate and Tess so that they could start finishing the arrangement. When Nate arrived he walked through the door with a bright smile on his face. Shane grinned in amusement. Clearly, Nate had a good night.

"Good morning, everyone. Beautiful day, isn't it?" Nate asked as he sat down his bag with a contented sigh.

Shane smirked at him. "Are you going to start humming a happy song now, man? You're like the cliché of a guy in love right now."

"Not in love," Nate said. "Right now I'm just in serious _like_. Really intense _like_."

"But not enough like to let Ella stay over, apparently," Caitlyn said with a glare. "You lost me a bet, Gray."

"Not my fault you decided to make a bet concerning my love life," Nate said with a grin. "It's also not my fault that I was raised to be a gentleman. You should be glaring at my parents. Not me."

"Hey, I'm glad you took her home. Now I get to spend an evening with Caity and do whatever I want. I never get to do that. She always wins," Jason said proudly. "So, good job, little brother."

"Thanks," Nate said with a chuckle. "Happy to help." Nate quickly did a double take when he saw Jason. "Why are you still wearing that ridiculous mustache?"

"Whatever you want?" Shane asked Jason with a grin as he ignored Nate's last question. "What does that entail exactly?"

Jason glared at him. "Shut up, Shane."

"What? I didn't say anything inappropriate."

"We all know where that was leading," Caitlyn said as she rolled her eyes. "You're not very subtle."

The door opened again and Tess dramatically entered. She threw the door back and huffed as she took off her oversized sunglasses. "I despise L.A. traffic. I didn't even have time to stop by Starbucks."

Mitchie sighed and shook her head. "We would have if you'd been ready on time."

"This look does not happen in fifteen minutes, Torres. It takes time," Tess said as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

"Must take you days to look presentable then," Shane muttered under his breath. He looked up and spoke louder. "Good morning, Tess. You're only fifteen minutes late today. I think that's your personal best."

"Shut up, Shane," Tess said as she shoved her purse into his arms.

"That's a popular phrase this morning," Shane said with a dry grin. He smiled warmly at Mitchie when she finally looked over at him. "Good morning, Mitchie."

"Morning, Shane," She replied softly with an unsure smile.

"And how are you this fine morning?" Shane asked as he sat Tess's bag down by the couch.

"Good, I suppose. You?" She asked as her smile widened a little.

"Much better now," Shane said with a wink.

"Since we're all here now," Tess said as she avoided looking in Shane's direction. "Can we get to _work_, please?"

The guys and Tess started working on the song and Mitchie eased her way over to Caitlyn. She'd decided to take Ella's advice and ask Caitlyn about Shane. Mitchie cleared her throat once she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Caitlyn and Caitlyn immediately turned toward her.

"Yes? Something you need?" Caitlyn asked with a smile.

"Um, I…need to ask you something," Mitchie said hesitantly. "Ella says you know these three guys really well."

"Because I do," Caitlyn said with a nod.

"So, then you'd be the person to ask if I needed an honest opinion about Shane?" Mitchie asked quietly.

Caitlyn's eyes widened and she smirked. "Why do you need one?"

"Well, I…I'm just curious. That's all," Mitchie said as her face flushed lightly.

Caitlyn quirked a brow at the brunette and sighed. "Oh no, do you…_like_ him?"

"No!" Mitchie insisted defensively.

Caitlyn's eyes twinkled knowingly and she smiled. "You do!"

"Hush!" Mitchie said urgently. "I only like him _a little_, and I'm not sure it's anything that I want to act on."

"Oh, you will," Caitlyn told her with a chuckle. "They always do."

Mitchie looked alarmed at that and Caitlyn immediately felt bad. She'd made Shane sound like a playboy with girls tripping over themselves for him, and that impression was only partly true. Plus, Shane seemed to really like Mitchie and she didn't want to be the one that screwed that up for him. It was time she give Mitchie her honest and serious opinion about Shane.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I was kidding but it might not have come off that way," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "Do you _really_ want an opinion on Shane?"

"Yes, _please_," Mitchie said with a nod.

"Okay, fine. Here's what I think. I think… Shane's a good guy. He's a little lost, and hasn't figured out what he's looking for yet but that doesn't stop him from searching. He doesn't _purposefully_ try to hurt people, Mitchie. He just...doesn't learn from his mistakes. Or he hasn't yet. He's inching closer to that life lesson. If you date him don't let him put on an act or get away with feeding you crap lines. The _real_ Shane is buried underneath all of that stuff," Caitlyn told her. "Trust me. The Shane that I know isn't the guy that you were warned about. And, yes, I know that all the assistants think they have to protect the newbies from Shane. But he's really not that guy. Promise."

Mitchie bit her bottom lip and nodded as she processed Caitlyn's words. Mitchie sighed and huffed. "Now I'm really confused."

"Yeah, the Grays tend to have that affect on women. Believe me, I _know_," Caitlyn said as she nudged Mitchie's shoulder playfully.

Mitchie smiled softly at Caitlyn. "Let me guess, Jason?"

Caitlyn blinked at her. "I must be more obvious than I think."

"If it helps, I don't think Jason knows," Mitchie assured her.

"I'm really not sure whether that helps or not," Caitlyn said as she bit her bottom lip. "On one hand that means things won't be awkward but on the other…it might mean he doesn't really see me as an option. Ugh, I hate the friend zone. I truly _hate it_."

"What idiot put you in the friend zone?" a voice suddenly asked from beside of them.

Both Mitchie and Caitlyn jumped. Caitlyn paled and turned to face Jason slowly. "H-how long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," Jason said as his brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You look sick?"

"I'm…I'm okay," Caitlyn answered with a nervous gulp.

"Who were you talking about?" Jason asked again.

"Oh, um, nobody recent," Mitchie said quickly. Caitlyn looked too panicked to answer so Mitchie decided to lie for her. "Just some guy she went to high school with."

"Yet another reason to be ashamed that I was ever a teenage boy," Jason said as he shook his head. "We tend to ignore what's right in front of us."

Caitlyns eyes widened and she stared at him. "What?"

"What?" Jason asked cluelessly.

"I don't think that's limited to teenage boys, Jason," Caitlyn said as she blinked at him in shock. "I'm pretty sure adult males do the same thing." Caitlyn huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Excuse me. I think I need some air."

She turned on her heel and quickly left the studio and once the door closed Jason turned to face Mitchie. "What just happened?"

"I think the teenage boy in you struck again, Jason," Mitchie told him sympathetically.

He looked confused and then sighed. "Should I go talk to her?"

"No," Mitchie told him. "I think she needs a minute alone. She'll be back."

"If she's not back in ten minutes I'm going after her," Jason said with a determined nod. "Time her, okay?"

Mitchie smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I will. I'll let you know when those ten minutes are up."

"Thanks," Jason said with a sigh as he slowly joined the group again and went back to work.

* * *

Caitlyn sighed and paced in the hallway. She really didn't feel like going back in there right now. She needed to walk around for a bit and clear her mind. Jason had unintentionally stirred up all her resentment toward their situation. All the things that, while she adored Jason, made her irrationally angry with him were now circling around in her head and they wouldn't leave her alone.

She walked by another studio and saw the light on over the door. Someone else was recording today. She waited until the light went off and then opened the door to step inside. She immediately recognized Luke Williams voice but winced at the sound of the song. It was terrible. The song itself was good but the production of it…_killed it_. And not in the complimentary way.

Caitlyn spotted Sander standing in the back of the room and made her way to him. Sander was Luke's assistant and Caitlyn knew him pretty well. They ran into each other a lot. Sander turned when she tapped his shoulder and smiled.

"Hey, Cait," Sander said as he gave her a small hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking a break from Connect Three and Brown. How's Luke?"

Sander chuckled dryly and shook his head. "Well, he's…_Luke_. That's about all I can say without risking my job."

Caitlyn grinned at him. "Sounds about right." The recording started again and Caitlyn winced. She leaned toward Sander and commented softly. "God, you think they've got enough autotune on this track? It's terrible. Why does everyone think dance tracks need to sound so overproduced these days?"

"What was that?"

Caitlyn turned suddenly and her eyes widened when she spotted Axel standing behind her.

"I—I, uh, it was just my opinion, Mr. Turner. I think this track is being murdered, and rather loudly and clumsily at that," Caitlyn said with a nervous gulp. She wasn't going to lie about her opinion, but Axel was still intimidating.

Axel smirked at her before he walked further into the room and stopped the recording. The producer glared at him. "Excuse me, we were working."

Axel nodded. "Yes, you _were_, but that doesn't mean it was good. I just had someone point out, completely accurately, that this track sounds like trash. Not the _song_ just the track, and I believe that blame falls completely on the producer, does it not?"

"It's not finished yet," The producer said defiantly.

"Yes, and a good thing too because I do not want to find out how you could make it _worse_," Axel told him.

"What are you saying?" He asked.

"You're fired," Axel said quickly. "That's what I'm saying."

Caitlyn's eyes widened and she shared a look with Sander. She really didn't mean for that to happen. Luke smirked in satisfaction from inside the booth. It looked like Luke didn't like him either. The producer angrily gathered his things and muttered violently as he stormed out of the studio.

"Now," Axel said as he turned back to Caitlyn. "What would you do with this track, Ms. Gellar?"

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Um, me?"

"Yes, you," Axel said with a nod. "I've heard Brown say you're very talented. Now's your chance to prove it."


	11. Chapter 11

Working Girls

by angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Eleven_

* * *

Exactly ten minutes later Jason called for a break and dragged Mitchie out into the hallway to search for Caitlyn. Mitchie went one way and Jason went the other. He stopped at another studio and thought he'd ask whoever was inside if they'd seen Caitlyn. The light was off so he opened the door and he froze at what he saw on the other side.

Caitlyn. She was smiling and laughing and hugging someone that looked vaguely familiar. She turned back around to the sound board and talked to Luke Williams who was sitting in the booth.

"What did you think of that take, Luke?" She asked.

"Pretty brilliant, Gellar. Try it again?"

"Yeah, sure. One more time and then we move on," Caitlyn said brightly before she high fived the same guy she'd just finished hugging.

Jason gulped and backed out of the door. What was that? She was producing now? Why didn't she tell him? And who was that guy who'd hugged her? Since when did she work for _Axel_? He was extremely confused and more than a little hurt. What else hadn't Caitlyn told him?

Someone tapped his shoulder and Jason spun around quickly. "_What_?" He snapped.

Mitchie's eyes widened and she stepped away. "Um, whoa. Sorry. I was just gonna ask if you found her."

"Yeah," he said sullenly. "I found her. She's fine. Let's go back to work."

"You found her? Where is she?" Mitchie asked.

"She's working just like we should be. Breaks over," Jason muttered as he stomped back toward the studio.

Mitchie's brow furrowed as she followed him. What had she missed?

* * *

Something had happened. That much was clear only no one knew what it was. Caitlyn had disappeared and Jason was acting like someone had killed his kitten. He was snippy and moody and not contributing to the arrangement as much as he usually did. He barely spoke and when they finally thought the song was ready to record Jason couldn't seem to focus long enough to record his harmonies.

"Okay," Nate said with a sigh. "I think it's time to eat. _Some of us_ are grumpy."

Shane snickered. "And for once it's not you."

"Good, I'm off to find Luke. He's taking me out whether he really wants to or not," Tess said as she stood up and quickly walked away. Jason sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. They all watched him as he stepped out into the hallway and made a call.

"Well, now that the angry man is gone," Shane said as the door closed. "Let's go to lunch. What do you say, Mitchie? Lunch with me and Nate?"

Mitchie bit her bottom lip. She _was_ hungry, and it would be Shane _and _Nate. That should be safe. "Sure. I'm starved."

Brown checked his watch. "My lunch should be here any minute. I have a standing order with that café Caitlyn likes so much."

Mitchie grinned at him. "Connie's Café?"

"That's the one."

"That's my mother's place!" Mitchie said brightly. "She makes good food, right?"

"The best," Brown said with a chuckle. "I love her ham and apple sandwich."

"Me too," Mitchie said with a big smile. "She got that from my dad apparently. His family is Norwegian and that's a Norwegian sandwich. It's delicious."

"Your mom's a cook?" Shane asked.

"Yes. She owns a small café and caters on occasion," Mitchie said proudly. "I had a very well fed childhood."

"Speaking of well fed," Nate said as he packed up his guitar. "Can _we_ be well fed? I need food."

"We could go to ZaZa's." Shane suggested. "Its light food and right down the street."

"Sounds good to me," Nate said as he stood up. "Let's get going. We need to eat quickly and get back here."

"I'll see you guys when you get back," Brown said as the group left.

"Later, Uncle Brown," Shane said with a wave.

"Bye, Mr. Cesario," Mitchie said with a smile.

"Oh God, don't call me that," Brown said with a laugh. "Call me Brown. _Please_."

"Right," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "Sorry, _Brown_."

"Have fun, kids," Brown said as he threw a wink at Mitchie. "See you in an hour."

As they left they passed Jason who appeared to be ordering lunch for two. He waved as they passed him and smiled apologetically at Mitchie. She had a feeling that was for snapping at her earlier so she smiled back and gave him a small wave. He sighed in relief and then went back to his phone call.

Mitchie followed Shane and Nate down the street to ZaZa's. They were immediately swarmed by photographers and for the first time Mitchie understood Ella's fear of them. They were completely in her face and asking personal questions. Nate and Shane just smiled and ignored their questions. Shane put Mitchie in between himself and Nate and pushed them all through the crowd. Once they were inside the restaurant the owner led them to an empty corner where they would be safe from the cameras. Mitchie was surprised when Shane pulled out her chair for her and motioned for her to sit.

Her eyes widened and she smiled warmly at him. "Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome," Shane said as she sat and he helped her scoot up.

He sat down next to her and then looked between her and Nate. "So, what's everybody hungry for?"

Maybe Caitlyn was right. Maybe there was a hidden side to Shane. He certainly didn't seem like a heartbreaker _right_ now.

* * *

Jason impatiently waited for the delivery boy in the lobby. He was going to buy Caitlyn lunch and get her to talk to him. He wanted to know _what the hell_ he saw. Finally the food came and Jason paid for it quickly and then raced up to the studio where he'd seen Caitlyn last. He opened the door and found Caitlyn talking to the same guy as they sat in front of the sound board.

Jason cleared his throat and Caitlyn immediately turned around. "Jase!"

"Caitlyn," He said sternly.

"Jason, this is Sander. He's Luke's assistant."

"Hello, Sander," Jason said grimly. "Nice to meet you."

"Um, yeah, man, you too," Sander said. "I'm a big fan of Connect Three."

"Oh, thanks. Glad to hear that," Jason said with a sigh. "Do you mind if I talk to Caitlyn alone?"

"Um, no. No, I don't mind. I need to go get lunch anyway," Sander said as he stood up and left the room. "See you later, Cait."

"Bye, Sander. See you in an hour," Caitlyn told him. She turned to Jason and gave him a strange look. "You were kind of rude, don't you think?"

"I need to talk to you, and I couldn't do that with him here," Jason told her as his mouth set into a firm line.

"Why do you look so tense?" Caitlyn asked in concern. "What happened?"

"I brought you lunch," Jason said as he set the bag down on the small table in the middle of the room.

Caitlyn slowly opened the bag and smiled softly at the wrapped sandwich she pulled out of the bag.

"Banh Mi," Jason said. "It's your favorite, I believe."

"I've only ordered it around you once," Caitlyn said in amazement. "How did you remember that?"

Jason cleared his throat. "You, uh, made some interesting noises while you ate it."

Caitlyn blushed. "Yes, I do that sometimes. So, what do you need to talk about?"

"What is going on here?" Jason asked. "You're producing? Since when? And _for Axel_, of all people? And who the hell is Sander? You're awfully familiar with him. And why didn't you come back and tell me where you were? I was worried about you. I went looking for you."

Caitlyn suddenly felt guilty. She'd totally forgotten about telling everyone where she was. She'd gotten so caught up in the track that she just…lost herself. She set the sandwich down and looked at Jason apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just…I got carried away. I wandered over here and the producer Luke had was terrible. I happened to say something and Axel overheard me. He fired that guy and then…well, he _hired_ me. I really don't know why, but he did. And Sander…Sander is a friend, Jason. I've been friends with him since I moved here. He's actually the guy that got me in touch with Brown and helped me get my job. He's not anyone I'm seeing or interested in seeing."

"So, you didn't go to high school with him?" Jason asked.

Caitlyn's brow furrowed. "What?"

"He's not the guy that put you in the friend zone is he?"

Caitlyn smirked at Jason and chuckled. "No, no he's not." Caitlyn paused and reached for her sandwich. "Are we good now?"

"Yes," Jason said with a nod as he pulled his own sandwich out of the bag. "So, Axel just hired you to produce on the spot like that?"

Caitlyn nodded. "He said he'd heard Brown talk about how talented I was and that he was gonna give me a chance to prove myself."

Jason smiled softly at her. "That's amazing, Caity. No one deserves that more than you."

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip and shrugged. "It's fun, I guess. It's not quite what I thought it would be though."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. It's not as satisfying as I thought it would be," Caitlyn said honestly.

Jason shrugged. "Give it some time. Maybe it's just weird cause it's new?"

"Maybe," Caitlyn said in a doubtful tone. "So, how's it going with 'On the Line'?"

"Um, I don't really know. I wasn't really present for the first half of the day," Jason admitted. "Nate decided we were ready to start recording though. So that's progress."

"Well, good," Caitlyn said with a smile. "I'm sure things will be better after everyone eats."

Jason smiled softly at her as he watched her eat. "Yeah, probably."

Now that he knew what was going on with Caitlyn he was _certain_ things would get better.

* * *

"So, Brown's the one that got you guys started in the business?" Mitchie asked curiously.

Shane and Nate both nodded.

"It was his idea for us to be an actual band," Shane told her. "And I don't really think this would have happened without him."

Nate nodded in agreement. "Plus, all of us are so much closer because of it. This has definitely been good for us. At least, I think so."

"And you don't mind all of the _other_ stuff that comes with the fame? The photographers, the gossip, the interviews?" Mitchie asked as she glanced out the window to the paparazzi that were waiting for them to leave.

Nate looked up at her and knew who she was thinking about while she asked this question. Ella. Nate wasn't blind. He'd seen Ella's reaction last night and knew there had to be more to it than what she'd shared with him. His eyes connected with Mitchie's for a split second before he answered. "Sometimes we mind. Especially when we want some privacy and we have to work around them. And then there's the fact that sometimes we have to protect certain people in our lives from the very people who support us and allow us to do what we do. That sometimes sucks, but for the most part it's a pretty great life we live."

Shane agreed. "It has its drawbacks, but what lifestyle doesn't?"

"It just seems like an awful lot to deal with to me," Mitchie said. "I mean, I suppose making your own music and being able to share it with the world is probably worth it."

Shane smiled brightly. "It's worth it. If our music means anything to just one person then it's worth it."

The waiter came over and took their order and once that was done Nate stood up and excused himself from the table. "I think I'm gonna go make a quick phone call. I'll be back."

Mitchie smirked at him. "Going to call Ella?"

Nate chuckled and grinned. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only to someone in the know," Mitchie told him. She looked down at her watch. "If you call her maybe she'll actually _take_ her lunch."

Nate quirked a brow at her. "She skips lunch?"

"She's a workaholic and she gets a lot of alteration orders. She usually drinks some gross protein shake and stitches her way through lunch," Mitchie said with a shrug. "My mother was going to try and force feed her today."

Nate chuckled. "That sounds like Ella. I'll see if I can get her to take a break. Be back in a bit."

As he walked away Shane looked at Mitchie with a furrowed brow. "You know Nate's girlfriend?"

Mitchie chuckled. "Calling her his girlfriend already, are you?"

"It's only a matter of time. He's head over heels already," Shane said observantly. "How do you know her?"

"Her shop is on the same street as my mom's café, and she's been working in that shop forever. When I first moved here I worked at the Café and Ella came in almost daily for breakfast or for a dessert or whatever she felt like eating, and we just hit it off and started hanging out. She's one of my best friends now," Mitchie told him with a smile.

"So, your mom owns Caitlyn's favorite café, you're Tess's assistant, and you're best friends with Nate's new girlfriend?" Shane asked in disbelief. "Man, the world has never seemed smaller."

Mitchie chuckled and nodded. "It is a little freaky. I'll admit."

Shane looked up and smiled softly at her. "I can't say I mind."

Mitchie blushed. "Me either."

"So, with all of that in common it took me running you over with a grocery cart for us to finally meet?" Shane asked with an amused smile.

Mitchie laughed. "I guess so."

"You'd think the universe would have thought of something less embarrassing for us," Shane said with a grin.

"That would be too convenient," Mitchie told him. "And just look all together too easy."

He nodded and smiled easily. "And the universe just can't have that, can she?"

"Now _why_ does the universe have to be a she?" Mitchie asked with a playful smirk.

"Because she's temperamental and fickle and _extremely_ passive aggressive," Shane said teasingly. "A male universe would just blow shit up."

Mitchie laughed loudly and covered her mouth with her hand. Her shoulders shook slightly as she laughed and Shane smiled at her amusement. Her smile was huge and her laugh was adorable. If he didn't already find her attractive _that_ would have put him over the edge. Her laughter died down and she shook her head.

"I'd rather have a moody universe than one that would cause me to spontaneously explode, Shane," Mitchie said with a soft chuckle.

"That is a good point," Shane admitted with a grin. "So, Mitchie, tell me about yourself."

Mitchie quirked a brow at him. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything, but let's start with how you got this job with Tess," Shane said with a charming smile.

"Oh, well, actually—"

Suddenly a girl approached them. She looked to be just barely over 18. She was wearing a skimpy outfit and far too much make up. Mitchie couldn't help but note with some disdain that her lipgloss was Barbie Doll pink. Who actually thought they could pull that shade off in everyday life?

"Hi, Shane," the girl said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Remember me?"

He looked between the girl and Mitchie as he blinked in shock. "Um, should I?"

"We ran into each other at that club opening last week? We made out in the VIP room and you said you'd call me, but you never did," The girl said with a glare. "But I guess we can all see that you've moved past it. Jackass."

Mitchie's eyes widened and she quickly looked away from the scene in front of her.

"And who the hell is this?" The girl asked as she pointed to Mitchie. "Is she your new bimbo?"

"Bimbo?" Mitchie asked as she looked up again. "Apparently, you haven't seen your own reflection lately."

"What did you say?" The girl asked as she turned to face Mitchie.

"Nothing," Mitchie said with a sigh. "Nothing at all."

"You know," the girl said as she turned back to Shane. "Everyone warned me this would happen, but I thought it was all gossip and gave you a chance and then you turn around and ditch me for _her_?" The girl faced Mitchie again and reached for a drink off of their table. Mitchie's eyes widened and she knew what was coming next but she couldn't seem to move. Ice cold water suddenly drenched her front and within seconds restaurant staff was dragging the crazy girl away from them.

Shane's eyes widened and he rushed around the table to Mitchie's side. "Are you okay?"

The waiter approached then with their food and Mitchie huffed and glared at Shane while she spoke to the waiter. "On second thought, I think I'll take my food to go."

"Um, ah, yes ma'am," The waiter said hastily. "It's on the house and how about a free dessert for the inconvenience?"

"That sounds great. Thank you," Mitchie said stiffly. "As long as it's chocolate. I'll be needing lots of chocolate."

The waiter nodded and set down Nate and Shane's plates before he rushed off to pack up Mitchie's food and get her a dessert.

"Mitchie," Shane said with a wince. "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have taken that out on you."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have led her on in that club last week, huh?" Mitchie asked bitingly.

Shane flushed in embarrassment. "I, uh, no I probably shouldn't have."

"God, Shane, she was barely even _legal_," Mitchie said as she rolled her eyes and rung out her shirt.

"That's not a typical thing for me," Shane said with a sigh. "I swear—"

"Look, I think it's best we not talk," Mitchie said with a clenched jaw. "I might say something I'll regret if we keep going."

"I'm not a jerk," Shane told her in a defeated tone. "I know how this must look, but I'm _really_ not a jerk."

Nate came back then and his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. "Um, what pool did Mitchie fall into? I hope I didn't miss _all_ the excitement."

"You did, fortunately for you," Mitchie said with a huff as the waiter returned with her food in a bag and two containers. "I'll see you guys back at the studio."

Nate waved slowly as he watched Mitchie walk out of the restaurant and then turned to his disheartened brother. "What the hell happened while I was gone?"

"A very loud and _hurt _mistake came back to bite me in the ass," Shane said with a groan. "That's what happened."

* * *

Mitchie stomped back into the studio and decided to stop at the drink machine on her way back to their reserved booth. She stopped to pull out her money and while she did so Caitlyn approached. Caitlyn smiled pleasantly at her.

"Hey," Caitlyn said. "Jason said you went to lunch with Shane and Nate."

"I did," Mitchie said with a groan.

Caitlyn finally noticed Mitchie's soaked clothing and her brow furrowed. "Why are you all wet?"

"Because Shane made out with jailbait," Mitchie said simply as she inserted a dollar into the machine.

"What?" Caitlyn asked in confusion.

"Shane made out with some girl who ran into us at the restaurant and _she_ did this," Mitchie said in a aggravated tone as the machine rejected her dollar.

"Shane made out with a girl in the restaurant?" Caitlyn asked with wide shocked eyes.

Mitchie looked confused for a moment before she quickly shook her head. "Oh! No! Thank God, no. He made out with her at some club last week and then _we_ ran into her today at the restaurant and she took out her heartbreak on _me_."

Caitlyn nodded as she understood and then sighed. "Well, Shane's an idiot sometimes."

"Yes, and his idiocy resulted in me getting a drink thrown in my face," Mitchie muttered as she tried to insert her dollar one more time. The machine spit it back out again and Mitchie rested her head against the machine. "Ugh! And up until then things were going so well too! He was sweet and polite and we were laughing and talking and then…I was very violently reminded why I'm hesitant to _really_ like him."

Caitlyn reached over and squeezed Mitchie's soggy shoulder sympathetically. "I promise you he's worth liking. He just needs to be taken down a few pegs. And you seem like someone who'd be up for that job. The thing to remember, Mitchie, is that no matter how famous or talented he is, he's still a guy. He occasionally needs someone to keep him in line."

"But do I really want a guy that I have to…_keep in line_?" Mitchie asked her thoughtfully.

"See, that's the problem with relationships these days," Caitlyn said with a sad smile. "No one wants to _work_ for them. They just want them to be easy and perfect and when they're not…people just bail. In my opinion, if you don't have to work for it then it's not worth it."

Mitchie stared thoughtfully at Caitlyn as the woman took Mitchie's dollar from her and straightened it out. Caitlyn put it into the machine and it immediately took it. Caitlyn was either crazy or a complete genius. Mitchie was betting on the latter.

"I've…never thought about it like that," Mitchie said slowly.

"Then maybe you should start," Caitlyn said as she held a hand out for another dollar for the machine.

"Maybe I should," Mitchie agreed as she placed another dollar bill in Caitlyn's palm. "Are you and Jason okay?" Mitchie asked hesitantly. "He seemed pretty off earlier."

"Yeah," Caitlyn said with a nod. "It was just a misunderstanding. We're fine now. What drink did you want?"

"Oh, just a regular Coke," Mitchie told her. Caitlyn pressed the button and then handed Mitchie the plastic bottle.

"There you go," Caitlyn said. "Would you like to eat with Jason and myself?"

Mitchie smiled gratefully but shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you for asking though. I think I'm just gonna go sit in the booth and eat. A little peace and quiet might be good for me."

Caitlyn nodded. "If you insist. Also, there's a hand dryer in the bathroom down the hall if you want to dry your shirt off."

"Oh, thanks," Mitchie said brightly. "I think I'll eat first. I'm starving and maybe that will give me some time to air dry a bit."

"If it makes you feel any better I plan on lecturing Shane about this later," Caitlyn told her with a grin.

Mitchie laughed lightly. "That does make me feel a little better actually. Thank you."

"No problem," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "It's what I'm here for."


	12. Chapter 12

Working Girls

* * *

_Chapter Twelve_

* * *

"Dude, what are you doing? And why are you making me stop here?" Nate asked as he reluctantly pulled over at a florists.

"I'm sending someone flowers."

"Who? Who are you sending flowers to?" Nate asked with a quirked brow.

"No one," Shane lied.

"Shane," Nate said. "Seriously, who? Because when we both go in there someone will spot us and it will be all over the internet in minutes. People will be asking me about it and I need to know what details I can or can't say."

"Fine," Shane said with a huff. "Mitchie. Okay? I need to apologize for that restaurant incident from a couple of days ago. Tess hasn't brought her back to the studio since, you know. Every time I ask about Mitchie Tess says she's running errands."

"Maybe she's actually running errands," Nate said.

"Oh, I'm sure she is, but I'm also sure she wouldn't be if I hadn't caused some teenage beauty queen to dump a drink all over her," Shane said with a huff. "Sometimes I really hate myself."

Shane didn't wait for Nate's response he just got out of the car and went inside the shop. Nate followed behind him and as they browsed flowers and arrangements Nate nudged Shane's shoulder. "What exactly went down with you and that girl anyway?"

"I danced with her at a club and we kissed maybe once before I realized I'd had one too many beers and got the hell out of there. I, however, didn't get out of there before she could slip her phone number into my pocket which apparently meant I was supposed to call her," Shane told him.

"So, you didn't actually _make out_?" Nate asked with a smirk.

"She's young and we're famous. I'm sure by the time she got back to her friends that was the story she'd decided to tell them," Shane said as he shook his head. "Somehow no one ever seems to take my side of the story as the truth, though. Or they just never give me a chance to share it."

"Tess still doesn't believe you about her last assistant, huh?" Nate asked as he picked up an arrangement of soft pink roses.

"No, and I doubt she ever will. I've accepted that. The only thing that's bugging me now is that Tess is probably telling Mitchie all kinds of things about me that she _thinks_ is true," Shane said with a sigh. "And I kind of hate that the whole Tess thing gave me this…_reputation_. I'm not that guy, but I'm the only person who knows that."

Nate gave his brother a reassuring smile. "I know it."

"I'm happy to hear that, bro, but that doesn't help me on the Mitchie front," Shane said with a grin. "Thanks though."

"No problem," Nate said with a chuckle. "You know, while we're here…maybe I'll send Ella some flowers."

"Ah, yes. The lovely Ella," Shane said with a smirk. "When do I get to meet her? Jason has. Caitlyn has. Dana has. She's Mitchie's best friend. Hell, even Tess knows her. She owns Tess's favorite little boutique. I feel out of the loop, man."

"Give her some time to get over the shock of her first meeting with Caitlyn and _then_ you'll get to meet her. Deal?" Nate asked as he put the arrangement of roses back down and turned to face the counter.

Shane nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Have you decided already?"

Nate nodded and rang the bell. "Yes, I have. The pink roses are the winners."

"That took you like two seconds," Shane said with a furrowed brow.

Nate shrugged. "They just remind me of Ella, that's all. She'll like them."

"They remind you of Ella?" Shane asked. "_Flowers_ remind you of Ella? How does that work exactly?"

"Try thinking of Mitchie and what you know of her and just _looking_, Shane. I'm sure something will jump out at you," Nate said as a woman appeared from the back and Nate placed his order.

Shane sighed and glanced around. What did he know about Mitchie? Her mother was a cook and she was very proud of her. She didn't know what to think of all the hype and fame that surrounded them or Tess. She was honest, even with Tess. She actually _cared_ about Tess which Shane knew from experience was difficult to do. She was friendly and compassionate. Jason had already declared her his friend and Jason was very good at reading people. So if he liked her then it meant she truly deserved to be liked. She was beautiful and funny and expected him to be just as pleasant and human as anyone else.

Okay, so what flower reminded him of all of that?

His eyes landed on an arrangement of colorful daisies. He smiled warmly and nodded. "That's the one."

Daisies were simple, friendly, and beautiful. The bright colors brought to mind the image of Mitchie laughing and smiling from the restaurant and that's what sold it. He joined Nate at the counter and once he was finished Shane ordered his arrangement.

"And where should this be sent?" the woman asked.

"Oh, um, right. Hold on," Shane said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Nate asked.

"The address to Connie's Café. Tess doesn't have an office and I don't know where Mitchie lives so I had to look up the address to her mom's café online," Shane told him. He handed the paper to the clerk and smiled. "Send them there, please."

"And what would you like the card to say?"

Shane stared at the small card thoughtfully. "Um, thank goodness she was underage. She could have had wine." Nate chuckled and shook his head and the florist gave him a strange look as she wrote it down. Shane gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Inside joke."

* * *

Mitchie sighed as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She leaned against her kitchen counter and glared at her planner as it sat open on her kitchen table. Tess didn't need her for another few hours. Mitchie had no idea what was going on with Tess lately, but she'd practically banished Mitchie from the studio. She hadn't said it in so many words, but she'd sent Mitchie out with a long list of errands for two days straight and _now_ she'd given her the morning off. There were no other errands Tess needed done so she had no excuse to keep Mitchie out of the studio anymore and now she was just delaying the inevitable. The results of that lunch Mitchie _hadn't_ had with Shane and Nate had gotten to Tess for some reason. Mitchie had a feeling she'd find out why today.

Her cell phone rang and her face fell a little when she saw that it wasn't Tess. Mitchie had had a taste of the studio and now it was the only place she wanted to be, even if she was just observing. She sighed and answered on the second ring. "Hey, mom, what's up?"

"I just got a delivery for you."

"For me? To the café?"

"Oh yes, it's an arrangement of daisies. It's quite large."

Mitchie could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "Flowers? I haven't gotten flowers since we moved here."

"Well, obviously someone likes you," Connie said with a chuckle. "I haven't looked at the card. I thought I'd let you have that honor."

"You sure they're not for you?" Mitchie asked in confusion.

"Honey, I haven't dated since the divorce. Besides, your name is above the address on the envelope," Connie told her. "They're for you. Trust me."

"Okay, um, I guess I'll come by and get them. I still have about three hours before I have to be at work," Mitchie told her. "See you in a few."

"See you, sweetie. Love you," Connie said brightly as she hung up the phone.

Who would send her flowers? She hadn't been on any dates recently. And why would someone send flowers for _her_ to the Café instead of her apartment?

She grabbed her keys and quickly grabbed a cab to her mom's café. Her mom saw her coming and waved through the window. Mitchie walked through the door and smiled brightly at the large arrangement of colorful daisies.

"Wow," Mitchie said happily. "They're gorgeous."

Connie handed her the small envelope that held the card and Mitchie quickly ripped it open.

"Read it aloud," Connie told her. "I have to know what it says."

Mitchie chuckled and nodded as she glanced down at the card. She grinned and laughed softly as she read it to herself. She bit her bottom lip and then smiled as she read it to her mother. "Thank goodness she was underage. She could have had wine. Apologies, Shane Gray."

Connie quirked a brow at her daughter and smirked. "Is this the boy that caused that girl to dump her drink on you?"

Mitchie nodded. "One and the same."

"Well, his apology's off to a good start, isn't it?" Connie asked with a chuckle.

"It would appear so," Mitchie said as she smiled warmly at the arrangement. "I'm going to go show these to Ella. Thanks for giving me a call, mom."

"No problem, sweetie. Come over when you're done. I have Mr. Cesario's lunch order and I have a lunch packed for you as well. I was hoping I could save my delivery boy the trouble and let you take it over there," Connie said with a hopeful smile.

Mitchie nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be back."

* * *

Ella sighed contentedly as she stared at her roses. They were beautiful. The vase was a light transparent blue and it held 24 baby pink long stem roses. It had been a very long time since anyone had sent her flowers and even longer since she'd been sent flowers with romantic intentions.

She turned the note over in her hand again. She couldn't seem to put it down. By now she had it memorized, but it was just too perfect. _Nate_ was too perfect.

The bell above the door rang and Ella looked up to see Mitchie walking through with her own arrangement of flowers in hand.

Ella stood up straight and beamed at her. "You got flowers too!"

Mitchie nodded. "Shane sent them. As an apology."

Ella motioned to her roses and sighed softly. "From Nate." She held up the card and smiled as she read it aloud. "I can't get your smile out of my mind. I think about your eyes all the time."

Mitchie smiled brightly at Ella and let out a soft squeal. "Are you serious? That's way better than mine."

"What does yours say?" Ella asked curiously.

"Thank goodness she was underage. She could've had wine."

Ella laughed. "I love that, though. It's cute! I don't think you can compare the two. Shane's still trying to win you over, and Nate has already _successfully_ won me over. Of course Nate's will be sweeter. He's knows that I like him."

"You know what I can't get over though?" Mitchie asked Ella thoughtfully.

"What?" Ella asked.

"_Daisies_," Mitchie said as she squinted her eyes. "He sent me daisies. Given what I've been told about him from other people I would have thought he'd go for something more…_extravagant_."

"Then maybe that's proof," Ella told her.

"Proof of what?"

"Proof that he's not who those _other_ people think he is," Ella said with a soft smile. "Just because people say it doesn't mean it's true, Mitch."

"It's definitely something to think about," Mitchie said to herself. "Alright, well, I should get these flowers back to my apartment. I just wanted to come by and show them to you. It's amazing how much flowers actually _do _for an apology."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "My father was _very_ adept at using flowers against my mother. Believe me I know."

"I thought you said you never really knew him?" Mitchie asked.

Ella shrugged. "I never did, really, but my mother did. She never really stopped loving him. It was obvious. He sent her flowers every Valentine's and anniversary, even after the divorce. So I know the power that those pretty little plants hold."

"Here's a question," Mitchie said hesitantly as she cleared her throat. "Are you going to tell Mr. Perfect about Daddy Dearest?"

Ella groaned pathetically and turned to stare at her flowers. "I really don't want to. I just…don't like how that news changes perceptions of me. Almost everyone who's found out has reacted badly."

"Hey! I didn't!" Mitchie said defensively.

"I said _almost_ everyone," Ella said with a grateful smile.

"He'll find out sooner or later, and I think…if he's going to react badly you should know _now_. Before you're in so deep that it scars," Mitchie told her honestly.

Ella brought her thumbnail to her mouth and nibbled on it nervously. She nodded and sighed. "You're right. You're right. I know you're right."

"So you'll tell him?" Mitchie asked.

"I'll try," Ella answered quietly. "I can't make any promises, though."

"Ella," Mitchie said sternly as she gave her a pointed look.

Ella huffed. "Fine, I promise. Happy?"

Mitchie grinned and nodded. "Very. You won't regret it." She smiled at Ella and glanced at her watch. "I don't suppose you have time for a lunch break?"

Ella pulled her protein bar out from behind the counter. "Sadly, no. I have fittings for the rest of the day and alterations to work on until then. Plus, I just got a new shipment of stock that needs to go out so no time for anything larger than this pathetic meal replacement bar. Sorry, bestie."

Mitchie sighed and smiled weakly. "I figured. Alright, then, I'll pick something up at mom's on my way back home. I'll see you later, Ella. I'll call you after work. I'm sure I'll have new drama to report."

"Looking forward to it," Ella said with a light laugh.

* * *

When Mitchie arrived at the studio a couple of hours later she'd pulled her hair half up and stuck a single yellow daisy inside of her hair clip. She smiled at Shane as she passed him and then handed Brown the lunch her mother had made for him.

"She threw in a salad," Mitchie told him with a chuckle. "She says you need the greens."

Brown made a face before he forced a thankful smile. "I, um, appreciate that."

Caitlyn laughed. "Brown's 'allergic' to vegetables. It's where Jason gets it from."

"Mitchie!" Jason exclaimed as he hugged her. "I've missed you."

She laughed and reluctantly hugged him in return. "I've missed you too, Jason."

"What's with the flower?" Tess asked in a bored tone as she looked at her watch. "And you're late. By ten minutes."

"Someone sent me daisies this morning," Mitchie told her vaguely. "And they were so pretty that I wanted to wear one around today. And I _tried_ to call you and tell you I'd be late, but you didn't pick up."

Shane grinned at her. "Where've you been, Torres? Avoiding us already?"

Mitchie smiled at him and they shared a secretive look before she answered. "Well, as an assistant I can't be here every day, Shane. Tess has other things that need to be done. And since the last time I saw you resulted in a drink being thrown in my face I thought it was as good a time as any to do them. It's easier to stay dry that way." He chuckled as Mitchie winked at him and turned her back on him to talk to Tess. "Do you have time to go over your schedule for the rest of the day? The label e-mailed me some changes earlier."

"Sure, let's head to the hallway," Tess said as she walked away and motioned for her to follow.

The door closed and then Jason pulled Caitlyn down on the couch next to him. "Did you finish with Luke's track?"

She nodded. "Yes, I did. And I think it sounds awesome. But we're still waiting for Axel's opinion."

"So, you'll be here with us today?" Jason asked with a bright smile.

"Yep."

"And we can talk about the terms of our bet?" Jason asked as he quirked a brow at her. "You owe me a night of _whatever_ I want to do."

"I'm sort of afraid to ask what a night like that would entail," Caitlyn said skeptically.

"Don't worry, I'm going to keep it simple," Jason told her. "Just you and me at my house."

Caitlyn gulped. They couldn't be more alone than that, could they? "And what are we going to do?"

"Well, I want you to cook dinner for us," Jason said with a smirk. "Dinner and dessert, and then I was thinking we could spend the night watching my favorite movies and playing Guitar Hero. Is that okay with you?"

She chuckled. "It's whatever _you_ want to do, Jase. It doesn't have to be okay with me. And what would you like for dinner?"

"A really good hamburger," Jason told her with a nod.

Caitlyn smiled at him in amusement. "You realize you could have _whatever_ meal you wanted right? Your options are wide open. I could make something a little more involved. I don't mind."

Jason shrugged and smiled warmly at her. "I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy, Caity. I like ordinary and simple. I don't have a lot of that in my life so I take it where I can get it."

"What about dessert?" Caitlyn asked with a soft smile.

"You know that recipe you e-mailed me the other day?" Jason asked.

"The Red Velvet Crepes?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes, _those_. They looked delicious," Jason said eagerly.

Caitlyn nodded. "And what would you like to eat _with_ your burger?"

Jason shrugged. "Surprise me." He glared playfully and wagged his finger at her. "But _no_ vegetables. At least not the green ones."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous. Greens are _good_."

"No, they're gross," Jason said with a scoff.

"You ate that asparagus I made at Nate's the other night," Caitlyn pointed out.

"It was wrapped in bacon so it was an exception," Jason said with a smirk.

"What if I wrapped broccoli in bacon? Would you eat that?"

Jason made a face and shook his head. "No, I'm not going to eat tiny trees. That's not appealing no matter what kind of meat you wrap it in."

"Anything else you want for _your_ night?" Caitlyn asked with a chuckle.

Jason nodded and smirked at her. "Oh yes. Bring your bathing suit," Jason said with a wink. "My hot tub was installed yesterday."

Caitlyn froze and blushed as Jason stood up from the couch and joined Shane and Nate at the control panel. Her bathing suit? Oh God, that meant she'd be half naked…and so would he. She probably wouldn't survive the night. At least not without attacking him.

Did he really just do that? Jason ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He'd told Caitlyn to bring her bathing suit and _winked_. Why did he do that? And what did he mean? If he didn't know then how could he know how she'd _take it_. That might have been the most impulsive thing he'd ever done. What if he'd freaked her out? Well, he wasn't going to back out on it now. He'd said it and he was sticking by it. Even if it meant he'd have to deal with seeing Caitlyn nearly naked.

Yep, he'd probably just done something _very_ stupid.

* * *

"Okay, so after recording you'll need to head straight to ABC. Somebody backed out of Jimmy Kimmel and they need you to fill in, and then they also want you on Craig Fergu—"

Mitchie stopped short when the front desk secretary suddenly appeared beside of them.

Tess quirked a brow at the women and gave her a blank look. "Um, can we _help_ you?"

"Yes, actually, is there a Mitchie Torries in Studio B?" She asked.

"No," Mitchie told her. "But there's a Mitchie Torres right here."

"Oh good!" The woman said brightly as she handed Mitchie a large red box. "This came to the front desk for you."

Mitchie took the box from her hands and stared after her as she left. "Um, thanks?"

"What is it?" Tess asked suspiciously.

Mitchie read the back of the box and smiled brightly. "It's a box of chocolates."

"From who?"

"Oh, no one," Mitchie lied. "Just some guy."

"And by _some guy_ you mean Shane, don't you?" Tess asked with a critical glare.

Mitchie sighed and tucked the box under her arm. "So what if it was?"

"Mitchie," Tess said in with a huff. "I think it's time I tell you the _full_ story of what happened with Shane."

Mitchie's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

"To save you the trouble of experiencing the same thing for yourself," Tess said as she glared at the box tucked under Mitchie's arm.

"Really," Mitchie said. "You don't have to do that. I've heard all the warnings, but I think…I think I have to find out for myself."

Tess rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. He's a cheater, Mitchie. Haven't you ever wondered what happened to my last assistant?"

"It, um, it had to do with Shane?" Mitchie asked hesitantly.

"They had an affair. He cheated on me with my assistant, Mitchie. _My assistant_."

Mitchie's brow furrowed. "I don't believe that. Maybe you misunderstood or—or—"

"She was laying on top him on a studio couch and they were _going at it_," Tess said through gritted teeth. "What's to misunderstand? I saw it with my own eyes."

"But he just doesn't _seem_ like that kind of guy. I mean he's flirty, sure, but…it's harmless," Mitchie said softly.

Tess rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Look, do what you want, but I'm telling you given the chance he'll cheat on you too. And don't you dare come crying to me when he does."

Tess suddenly turned and marched back into the studio. The door slammed behind her and caused Mitchie to jump at the sound. She knew Shane and Tess hadn't ended well but she'd never imagined…_that_. She bit her bottom lip and studied the box of chocolates. Suddenly it looked different. It didn't seem so sweet anymore. It seemed…_cheap_. Not in price but in intentions. She had no idea what to think. Was he trying to win her over or trying to play her? She groaned and threw the box in the trashcan next to her. There's no way she could enjoy it _now_.

If only there were a way to find out what kind of guy Shane really was. She kept hearing conflicting opinions and all it was doing was confusing her. She needed a way to find out for herself without the risk of getting hurt. Was that even possible? Suddenly an idea struck her. If she could just date him and enlist a friend to help her by "tempting" him to see if he would stray, she'd be set. She'd seen enough romantic comedies to know it wasn't an uncommon plot, and art imitates life, right? After a moment what she was saying came back to her and she shook her head. Was she _insane_? She could never do that. For starters she doubted she had a friend that would be willing to help her with it and for another it just felt…_wrong_. She couldn't do that.

Could she?

No, she couldn't. No way. She was going to forget this plan ever occurred to her. It was mean and ridiculous and she was _neither _of those things.

She opened the door to the studio and hesitantly stepped inside. Tess was recording inside the booth and Mitchie stepped up behind Shane and Nate so she could hear how it was going. They were really doing wonderful things with her song and it was amazing to see how Connect Three's creative process meshed with Tess's.

"I still can't believe she won't arrange for us to meet this Devonne person," Shane grumbled to Nate. "I mean I think we have that right, don't you? And since when does a songwriter _not_ want to meet us? That's never happened. It's just…sketchy. Don't you think?"

Mitchie's eyes widened. The guys wanted to _meet_ Devonne? Tess had never mentioned this to her. Well, that couldn't happen. Mitchie and Devonne were supposed to be two separate people or at least _appear_ to be separate people—

_Devonne_. Why hadn't she seen that before? Devonne could be her temptress.

"If you really want to talk to her, Shane, then I could give you her e-mail," Mitchie said quietly. Thank God Tess had made her set up one for her alter ego. It was going to come in handy for the very first time.

"I don't know if Tess would be okay with that," Shane said.

Mitchie shrugged. "Who says she has to know?"

Shane smirked at her. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

Mitchie nodded and pulled out a pen. "Exactly." She reached inside her bag and pulled out one of Tess's business cards and scribbled Devonne's e-mail on the back of it. She placed it in the palm of his hand before she could chicken out and smiled at him. "I'm sure Devonne would love to hear from you. She's a little shy, but once you get her talking she doesn't shut up."

"You've met her?" Shane asked.

"A few times," Mitchie lied. "She's a very private person."

That's good, she thought. The more challenging it is then the more intrigued he'll be.

"Oh, really?" Shane asked. "Good to know. Thanks, Mitchie."

"No problem," Mitchie said quietly as she gulped and looked away from him.

Oh God, what did she just do?


	13. Chapter 13

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

The rest of the day at the studio was odd. Mitchie suddenly became standoffish and quiet and that left Shane paranoid and he'd bugged Nate for the rest of their studio time. Tess spent the rest of their session radiating anger and glaring at Shane while Jason and Caitlyn avoided looking at or talking to each other. He and Brown had been completely lost in all the tension. They hadn't gotten as much done as Nate would have liked and all he wanted now was good food and good company. Maybe he'd go home and call Ella. He'd called Connie's Café before he left work and ordered dinner for himself and as he stopped to pick it up he glanced up at Ella's apartment windows.

Her lights were on and the shop was closed. He smiled softly as an elongated shadow crossed in front of the light. She was done working for the day obviously. He walked inside of Connie's Cafe and saw his food sitting on the counter.

"Hello," the woman he guessed was Connie said brightly. "You must be Nate. My pick up order."

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am."

She grinned at him. "You wouldn't be the same Nate that's dating our Ella, would you?"

Nate felt himself blush and he smiled brightly. "Um, yeah, that would be me. Word travels fast around here, huh?"

Connie chuckled. "Not particularly. Ella's best friends with my daughter so I practically consider her one of mine. When it comes to her I know all."

"You know all?" Nate asked. "So you'd know if she took her lunch break today?"

Connie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, she did not. She had one of those disgusting protein bars."

Nate chuckled. "Of course she did." He looked at the counter thoughtfully before he smirked up at Connie. "Could you make me a second order?"

Connie smiled warmly at him and nodded. "Same as yours?"

"Same as mine," He told her.

"Not a problem. Comin' right up."

Nate was amazed at how quickly Connie could prepare a meal. Fifteen minutes later he'd paid for both meals and was headed down the street to Ella's apartment. He pressed the doorbell by the glass door and waited patiently for Ella to appear.

"Nate?" He heard someone call from above him. He looked up to find Ella leaning out of her window.

"Hi," He said with a grin. "Are you busy?"

"No," She said slowly. "Why?"

"I brought dinner, and I think now is as good a time as any for our second date. Don't you?"

He could just make out her smile against the street light as she answered. "How could a girl refuse? I'll be right down."

A few minutes later he saw her appear at the top of the stairs. She smiled and waved at him before she headed his way and unlocked the door. She held it open for him as he came inside with the food and she quickly kissed his cheek.

"This is a pleasant surprise," She told him with a wide smile.

"I heard you didn't take your lunch break today and thought you might enjoy a _rather large_ dinner," Nate said with a chuckle. "Courtesy of Connie's Café."

She closed her eyes and sniffed the air for a short moment. "Is that Connie's chicken sandwich and seasoned fries I smell?"

Nate laughed and gave her an impressed look. "I'm guessing you eat there a lot?"

"Her food is amazing. She makes the best fries in the whole state. At least in my opinion," Ella told him as she headed up the stairs. "Thank you for bringing dinner."

"It's my pleasure. Trust me, I _need_ this after today," Nate told her.

"Bad day at the office, dear?" Ella asked with a grin and a wink.

"You could say that," Nate answered as she held her apartment door open for him. "Very little was accomplished today."

"I wish that had been my day," Ella said with a sigh. "Back to back appointments for me. I barely had time to breathe let alone stop for lunch."

She closed the door behind them and then led him to her kitchen table. She bit her bottom lip as she looked around her apartment. "My place isn't as big as yours…"

Nate shook his head. "It doesn't need to be. I like it."

"You do?"

"It's cozy and definitely feels more lived in than my place. My apartment feels very empty most of the time," Nate told her. "I feel much more comfortable here, actually."

She chuckled at him. "You've only been here for like two seconds."

"I know," He said with a soft smile. "There's just a vibe here that I like."

Ella blushed and couldn't hide her smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Nate's cheeks flushed a little as well and he cleared his throat. "Anyway, so…dinner?"

Ella nodded tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "Yes, dinner."

Ella grabbed a couple of plates from her cabinets and Nate placed the food on them. As she watched him her earlier conversation with Mitchie replayed in her head. She had to tell Nate. He deserved to know. But…he'd sent her flowers and brought her dinner…

He was being so perfectly sweet. How could she ruin that?

"So, did you, um, like the flowers?" Nate asked curiously.

Ella smiled and nodded. "I loved them. They were beautiful, and the note was very sweet, Nate."

"I'm glad you liked it. It's, um, a new song I'm working on," Nate admitted nervously.

Ella's eyes widened and she gulped. "A new song…_for me_?"

"Is that okay?" Nate asked.

Ella nodded slowly. "That's…that's definitely okay."

God, why was he making this so difficult? She was trying to work up the courage to tell him and he wasn't helping. Nate handed her a plate and they sat down at her kitchen table. They started to eat in silence until Ella'd had enough and decided to tell him. Damn the consequences.

"So I—"

She'd spoken so softly that he must have not have heard her because Nate suddenly began talking over her. "This is nice. I haven't done this in a long time."

"Done what?" Ella asked as she held back a pathetic groan.

"Had dinner with someone I…_care_ about. It's been a while since I've felt like this, you know? I'm just…really enjoying being here with you right now," Nate told her with a soft smile. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. He cleared his throat and then squeezed her hand. "I just thought you should know that."

He pulled his hand away and met her eyes as she smiled weakly at him. Oh God, he was twisting the knife. The more he talked the more she wanted to crawl in a deep dark hole and take her secret with her.

"Ella?" He asked. "Are you okay? You're going kind of pale over there."

This time she really did groan. "Why do you have to be so damn sweet?"

Nate's eyes widened. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, it is! But…not right now!"

"I'm confused," Nate said as he pushed his plate aside and looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"I have something I have to tell you and you're not making it any easier on me," Ella said as she stood up from the table and paced around her tiny kitchen.

"I don't like the sound of that," Nate said as he leaned back in his chair and watched her pace.

"I just…I sort of have this _secret_, and everyone I tell reacts badly. Either they run or they cling to me for all the wrong reasons and I hate meeting new people because I _hate_ having to share the inevitable with them. And we've very quickly reached the point where you _deserve_ to know what it is," Ella said as she sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

Nate reached out and managed to grab her hand as she paced. "Ella, just tell me. It can't be that bad. I mean are you a felon? Did you shoot a man just to watch him die?"

She gave him a lopsided smile and bit back a chuckle. "No, of course not."

"Then how bad can it be?" Nate asked. "Just _tell me_."

"Do you remember when we almost ran into the paparazzi at your building?" Ella asked as she took a shaky breath.

Nate nodded and tightened his hold on her hand. "Yes."

"Do you want to know why it freaked me out so badly?"

"Yes, I really do."

"My dad is Van Kingsley," Ella told him.

Nate's eyes widened. "The lead singer of King Street is your dad?"

Ella nodded. "My mom was just barely pregnant with me when she divorced him. She didn't want me to be exposed to the press so I have her last name. She used to tell me stories of how she was hounded and harassed by all of these photographers. She was in a car accident once because one of them tried to run her off the road to get an exclusive. She nearly died in that accident, Nate. When she found out she was pregnant with me she realized she couldn't live like that anymore and she…she left him. So no one really knows about me and if they ever found out…I don't _want_ to know how they would react. I've heard _enough _stories about how scary they can be to know that it won't be good."

"Okay," Nate said as he took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He didn't quite know what to say. "Okay."

Ella bit her bottom lip and let go of his hand. "See, this is where things get weird, isn't it?"

Nate's head jerked up and he immediately met her eyes. "No, Ella, that's not going to happen."

"Either you don't believe me and you run or you do and…I don't know. Things are just never the same after I admit this, Nate. Trust me, I know from experience," Ella said sadly as she backed up and leaned against her counter. "I'm sorry."

Nate stood up and walked over to her. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I don't know," Ella said honestly. "I just feel like a big mess right now, and you shouldn't have to clean it up. It's _my_ mess."

"Ella, honestly, this isn't as big of a deal as you think it is. The only thing that concerns me is your fear of the press," Nate told her. "They're a big unpleasant part of my life and we'll have to deal with them at some point. We won't be able to keep this a secret forever, you know?"

Ella blinked at him. "Wait, you mean you still—you still want _this_?"

Nate smiled softly at her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I've got a lot of baggage, Nate. I mean, you get that right?" Ella asked hesitantly.

"I get it," Nate assured her. "But you're still _you_. You're not a different person because of who your father is. This new information doesn't change the fact that I _want you_."

Ella sniffled and her eyes watered slightly as she smiled at him. "Really?"

"Really," Nate said with a nod. "God, how many shallow guys have you dated for them to make you think that this is a dea—"

Ella suddenly launched herself into his arms and held him tightly. "Thank you."

Nate quickly braced himself against the counter as he caught her and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome."

Her stomach growled and he chuckled into her hair.

"Are you ready to eat now?" Nate asked with a smirk.

Ella nodded against his chest. "I'm starving."

He pulled away from her slightly and led her to her chair and pulled it back for her. "Then by all means, let's eat before it gets cold. We can talk more about this afterward, okay?"

Ella nodded as she sat down. "Okay."

They ate their sandwiches in silence for a while before Ella looked up at him with a small grin. "So, the brother of yours I haven't met yet sent Mitchie flowers today."

Nate chuckled and nodded. "Yes, he did. Do you know what's really up with the two of them?"

"I don't think even _they_ know what's really up with them," Ella said as she started to eat her fries.

"Well, something must have happened because when she came in today she was pretty chipper but then somewhere along the way she turned distant and didn't really seem to be in the room with us," Nate told her.

Ella's brow furrowed and she sighed. "She's trying to work some things out. That's probably what it was. She'll probably be fine tomorrow."

"I hope so. Shane refused to let it go, though. He thought he'd done something wrong," Nate told her. "He wouldn't shut up about it."

Ella laughed. "Was it distracting, Maestro?"

Nate grinned at her. "Maestro? Is that my new nickname?"

Ella bit her bottom lip and smiled flirtatiously. "I was thinking about it."

He chuckled and winked at her. "I like it."

Ella smiled at him and picked up her empty plate and put it in the sink. "Good, cause I was gonna use it whether you liked it or not."

Ella motioned for him to give her his empty plate and he stood up as he did so. "So, what do we want for dessert?"

Ella bit her bottom lip as she rinsed the plates and tried not to say what she was thinking. He'd been really wonderful about everything so far so what she really wanted for dessert was _him_. "Maybe we can hold off on dessert for a bit."

Nate quirked a brow at her. "In favor of what?"

_Resist, Ella_. Resist. "Well, I actually have something I want to show you."

She dried her hands and then led him out to her tiny main room. It was a studio so her living room was also her dining room and her bedroom. She sat him down on her day bed that also acted as her sofa and then walked to one of her bookshelves. She pulled out a very worn photo album and brought it over to him.

"What's this?" He asked as he took it from her.

"Family photos," Ella told him. "Mostly of me and my mom, but there's some of dad in there too."

He smiled softly at her as he opened the album and flipped through the yellowed pages. Clearly this album hadn't been touched in years. It had a musty smell like it had been stored in an attic for years and the pages were stiff and crinkled loudly as he turned them. He smiled warmly at the sight of baby Ella being held by her very exhausted looking mother in the hospital and then in the next picture Ella's story was confirmed. Because there holding a tiny infant Ella in his massive tattooed arms was Van Kingsley in all his early nineties glory. His appearance screamed grunge rock and Nate grinned.

"Was that during King Street's Smashing Pumpkins stage?" Nate asked.

Ella laughed. "Mom always said King Street wasn't famous for _setting_ trends just for following them successfully."

The next pages were full of toddler Ella and the first five years of her life were catalogued in pictures of fairy costumes and princess tiaras. Ella wasn't a camera shy child. She was a ham, and he was surprised to see photos of her singing at public events as a child. There were various contests and talent shows. "How did your mother keep you from telling everyone who your father was? You look like a very talkative child."

Ella laughed. "I was. And her solution was simple…she never told me. I didn't know what dad did for a living until my tenth birthday. I was upset that he said he couldn't come to my birthday party and he finally had to tell me why we never went anywhere in public together. I didn't really understand at the time but a few years later it wouldn't matter."

"Why?" Nate asked as he gingerly touched a photo of Ella with her arms around Van in a tight hug. She looked at him like he was the strongest and bravest man she'd ever seen.

"Because he…_vanished_ from my life. He stopped calling and visiting and I haven't seen him since," Ella said honestly. "But it's okay. I survived without him then and I can survive without him now."

Nate took her hand and kissed the back of it as he closed the photo album. "He's the one who missed out, Ella. I have no doubt he regrets that."

"Thank you," Ella said bashfully. "And I promise I will _work_ on my paparazzi phobia."

"Good," Nate said as set the album down on her bedside table and pulled her toward him. He wrapped an arm around her and she buried her head in his chest. "I'd hate it if I couldn't eventually show you off."

"We're still going to keep this quiet for a while, though right?" Ella asked. "I mean I'm gonna work on it but—"

"No worries, Ella," Nate said with an amused smile. "I'm not going to push you into something you're not ready for. One step at a time, okay?"

She took a deep breath and looked up at him with a grin. "One step at a time, huh?"

Nate gulped and nodded in agreement as Ella tipped her face up toward his.

"So, you, um, still want dessert?" Ella asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

He flashed her a nervous smile. "Are we talking dessert or _dessert_?"

Ella sat up on her knees and hesitantly reached out a hand to curiously play with Nate's curls. She'd been dying to feel the texture of his curls again since their last date. They were perfect. They were soft and thick and silky. He closed his eyes as Ella's hand ran through his hair and she smirked at him. "Why not both?"

Nate chuckled but didn't open his eyes. "What—" He paused and let out a small groan. "What do you have? God, you're good at that."

Ella giggled as he leaned into her hand. "I have strawberries and whipped cream. How does that sound?"

Nate made an affirmative noise but Ella had a feeling he wasn't really listening. She grinned removed her hands from his hair and started to stand up. She turned to walk toward the kitchen but felt Nate's hand wrap around her wrist. "Where are you going?"

"To get dessert?" Ella said in confusion. "Strawberries and whipped cream, remember?"

He sat back further on her day bed and slowly pulled Ella toward him. She gave him a confused look as she stopped at the edge of the bed frame and he grinned at her. "I think I've changed my mind. The strawberries can wait."

She bit her bottom lip and smiled shyly. "Oh, really?"

Nate nodded and tugged her toward the bed again and Ella chuckled as she slowly joined him on the bed. She smiled coyly and straddled his lap. It was a good thing she'd shaved her legs this morning because the first place Nate's hands went were her legs. She'd changed into shorts and a t-shirt when she'd gotten home from work and she was glad she had. The feeling of Nate's callused hands softly caressing her outer thighs was totally worth it.

"Now what, Mr. Gray?" Ella asked as he trailed his hands up her thighs to place them around her waist. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then placed her hands on his shoulders. "This was your idea."

His hands slipped under the hem of her shirt and caressed the skin there. Ella gasped and leaned her head down toward his. Her hands slid up his shoulders and into his hair before she kissed him suddenly and forcefully. His hands moved from her waist to her back as Nate held her tighter and deepened the kiss. She felt his tongue press against her teeth and immediately parted her lips. He groaned into her mouth and flattened his hands against her back. His groan was followed by a whimper from Ella as his fingers accidentally brushed against the lacy fabric of her bra. Ella on the other hand couldn't get to _any_ of Nate's skin with the exception of his neck. It was extremely frustrating. She forced herself to pull away and glared at him playfully.

"You're wearing too many layers."

He laughed as he responded. "I'm sorry."

"Take something off," Ella said in a pout. "It's not fair. Your hands are…_God, they're everywhere_, and I can't get to more than an _inch_ of your skin."

Ella reached for the buttons on the front of his button down shirt and Nate grinned as he watched her struggle with the top two.

"Isn't unbuttoning and unzipping things a part of your _job_, Ella? I could have sworn you said you work with clothing," Nate said teasingly.

Ella giggled and blushed. "Shut up. These buttons are tiny."

He kissed her lips slowly and deliberately to distract her as he untucked and unbuttoned his shirt. He pulled his arms out and threw the shirt aside. Now he was left wearing his jeans and a thin white t-shirt. He kicked off his shoes and then slowly shifted Ella off his lap and gently pushed her back onto the daybed. Ella's hands immediately slipped under his shirt and Nate sucked in a sharp breath at the feeling of skin against skin. Her hands caressed every inch of skin she could find and she was kissing him with all she had. Nate was almost at his breaking point. There was only so much he could take before things _escalated_.

Ella must have sensed this because she immediately pulled back and gave him a concerned look. She tried to catch her breath as she spoke. "Are you okay?"

"You realize where this is going, right?" Nate asked seriously.

Ella blushed and nodded. "Yes."

"And you're _okay_ with that?" Nate asked as he distractedly ran his hands through the ends of her hair.

Ella sighed happily at the feeling and she smiled warmly at him. "More than okay, Nate. Trust me, this is what I want. Is this what _you_ want?"

Ella watched him nervously as she waited for him to answer and finally he nodded. "I _wanted_ this after our _first_ date, Ella. Want is definitely not an issue."

"Then what is the issue?" She asked.

"We seem to be moving awfully fast."

"Good," Ella said with a grin. "I've been cautious my whole life, Nate. It's about time that I stop being afraid and take a chance. And if I'm going to take that chance…I want it to be with you."

He knew exactly what she meant. He'd been the same way. Always careful. Always appropriate. Always aware of the consequences. But with Ella…he didn't feel like the consequences mattered and he didn't really care _if they did_. For the first time in his life he felt like being…_reckless_.

"So?" Ella asked with an understanding smile. "What'll it be? We don't have to do this tonight, Nate. We can wait. I'm okay with that, but…I'd rather not have to."

Nate smirked at her and then shifted to lean a bit more of his weight on her. "I don't want to wait, either, Ells."

She smiled and then kissed him quickly. "Good." She wrapped her legs around his waist and held both of her arms up over her head expectantly. When he gave her a strange look she smirked flirtatiously. "You wouldn't want to help me with my shirt, would you?"

Nate grinned and winked at her. "Don't mind if I do, Ms. Pador."

He carefully slipped her shirt up and over her head and tossed it on the floor next to his button down.

"And now we're even," Ella said with a grin.

Nate quirked a brow at her and grinned evilly. "So if I took off this t-shirt we'd have to even ourselves out again, wouldn't we?"

Ella flushed and smiled wider than he'd ever seen her smile. She absently placed a hand over one of her bra straps as she answered. "I would have to remove the one remaining layer on my chest. Yes."

Nate hurriedly took off his t-shirt and then dropped it over the edge of the bed with a taunting smile. "Your turn."


	14. Chapter 14

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

A quiet beeping alarm suddenly went off and Ella let out a whine before she blindly reached out a hand to hit the snooze button. Today was her late appointment day. She didn't have to open up the shop until ten. She heard a deep chuckle from what she thought was her pillow and that's when she remembered. She slowly opened her eyes and blushed when she realized she was snuggled against Nate's chest. And not only was she snuggled against Nate's chest but she also wasn't clothed. At all.

She looked up to see Nate smiling warmly at her.

"Good morning," He said as he leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

"Good morning," Ella said in a sleepy voice as they pulled apart. "What time is it?"

"Six A.M."

Ella groaned. "_Why_?"

Nate laughed and held her tighter against him. "Because that's what happens after sunrise, Ella. Time passes and the morning comes."

She grinned and laughed softly. "Was that your alarm, smarty pants?"

"My cell phone," Nate told her. "I'm surprised you heard it. It's in my pants pocket." Nate smirked and kissed her forehead. "Underneath the bed."

Ella giggled and blushed again. "So, do you have to be somewhere?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately, I have to be in the studio later this morning. Which also means I need to go home and change."

Ella whined and tightened her arms around him. "Do you have to?"

"If I show up to work in my clothes from yesterday I will never hear the end of it, Ells," Nate told her. "So, yes, unfortunately I have to."

Ella whined again as Nate untangled himself from her and got out of bed. "Well now I'm cold."

Nate smirked at her and winked as he picked up his boxers and put them back on. "Then put on some clothes. That might warm you up."

She glared playfully at him. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"

"Three points shy of a genius. Thank you very much," Nate said with a chuckle as he searched for his pants under the bed.

Ella wrapped her bed sheet around her and stood up. She found his pants under the foot of the bed and tossed them to him with a smirk. "A genius who can't find his pants even when they're in plain sight."

"You don't have to get up just because I'm up," Nate told her as he finished putting on his pants. "When's your first appointment?"

"Eleven," Ella told him. "I always open the shop by at least 10 though."

"So," Nate said as he faced her and pulled her to him. "You have nearly four hours to get some more sleep." He wrapped his arms around her and then placed a quick gentle kiss on her neck. He winked at her before he continued. "After last night, I think you might need it."

Ella blushed and chuckled. "Thank you for the concern, Maestro. But I'll be fine. It's hard for me to go back to sleep once I'm actually up."

Nate quirked a brow at her and nodded. "That's something I'll have to remember for future reference then."

Ella smiled brightly. "Future reference. I like the sound of that."

"Me too," Nate said with a nod and a contented sigh as he leaned his forehead against hers. Nate almost leaned in to kiss her but Ella put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"If I don't go change now you probably won't make it home in time to get ready for work," Ella told him with a grin.

"What? The sheet dress doesn't work for you?" Nate asked with a smirk. "I like it. And I'm sure if your friend E designed something similar women everywhere would snatch them up."

Ella gulped and nearly panicked at the mention of E, but quickly relaxed when she realized Nate had no idea that _she_ was actually E. She smiled at him and shook her head. "As comfy as this sheet is, I don't think I should go out in public in it. I'd rather just save this particular trend for _you_ if you don't mind."

"I'm perfectly okay with that," Nate said with a smile.

She kissed him quickly before she turned and opened her closet. He watched her as she searched for an outfit that appealed to her. She turned to face him with two options. One dress in each hand. "Which one do you like?"

Nate scooped his t-shirt up off of the ground and quickly put it on before he turned to look at the two dresses. He smiled at her in amusement before he spoke. "I, um, I'm not sure I'm the right person to help you with this decision."

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm not asking which one is more fashionable, Nate. I'm asking which one you _like_ more than the other. I'm certain you can handle that."

He stared between the two dresses in confusion for a moment before he gave her another pleading look. "I, um, I don't know."

"Okay," Ella said with a laugh. "Let me phrase it this way. Which one would you rather see me in?"

That definitely made it easier. He grinned and motioned to the red floral dress. The neck scooped a little lower and compared to the cotton candy blue of the other dress red just seemed…_sexier_. "The red one."

Ella smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

He finished getting dressed and made some coffee while Ella changed. And when he exited the kitchen he found her pulling her hair into a pony tail and slipping on her red pumps. He gulped and looked her up and down. He was right. The red dress _was_ sexier.

She noticed him staring and smirked as she twirled in front of him. "What do you think?"

"I think I should go now before anything else happens," Nate said honestly. "You're going to wear that to work?"

Ella chuckled. "Sure. It's not inappropriate or anything, is it?"

"No, but…"

"But what?" Ella asked as she took several steps closer.

"But make sure to let all the guys who ask you out down easy. Okay? Because I'm positive you'll get a lot of offers in that dress. You, um, might want to think about wearing a sweater," Nate said as he cleared his throat.

Ella chuckled. "Do you know how many straight guys I encounter in one day at work, Nate? _Maybe_ two at best. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"But what if I did have something to worry about…" Nate asked. "Would I have to?"

Ella smiled warmly at him. "No. Not at all. And what about me? If they were, say, another girl you were working with would _I_ have to worry?"

Nate wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Definitely not."

"No?" Ella asked. "So what does that mean then? Are we…_not_ seeing other people?"

"Do you _want_ to see other people?" Nate asked worriedly.

"No!" Ella said quickly before she blushed and gulped. "I mean…no."

Nate laughed and nodded. "Good, I don't either."

"Then that would mean that we're…" Ella's sentence trailed off as she thought of a word to complete it.

"Exclusive, is the word you're looking for, I believe," Nate said with a smirk.

"Yes!" Ella said with a nod. "Are we?"

Nate smiled and dipped his head toward hers. "Definitely."

Ella beamed at him as he closed the distance between them and covered her lips with his. Her hands went to either side of his face as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly and slowly. They continued to kiss as her hands slid from his face into his curls. She wrapped her fingers around a few of them and Nate couldn't help but growl softly into her mouth and deepen the kiss. He backed her toward the nearest wall and pressed her against it. His hands gravitated toward the buttons on the front of her dress and slowly began to undo them one by one. She responded by removing her hands from his hair and curiously letting them wander over his abdomen as she slowly untucked his button up shirt.

She instinctively cooperated as Nate pushed the top of the dress down. She quickly slipped her arms out of the dress and then unbuttoned his shirt. Nate slipped it off and threw it aside and Ella's hands immediately grasped the bottom hem of his t-shirt and yanked it upward. Nate chuckled at her as it caught on his chin and they were forced to pull apart to get it the rest of the way off. He immediately returned to kissing her and this time his kisses turned intrusive and aggressive. His hands flattened against her back and his fingers absently caressed the small of her back and Ella's breathing quickened as they traced a light trail up her back and finally landed on her bra clasp. She'd pulled back from Nate's kisses very slightly and let out a loud moan.

"Oh, God," Ella said with a gulp. "I thought you had to go home and change?"

"I think I'm allowed to be late just this once," Nate said in a hungry tone as he pressed his lips against her ear. "Don't you?"

She laughed when his lips suddenly assaulted her neck and nodded. "Yes. Oh God, yes."

She felt his fingers squeeze the clasp and then felt the release of the elastic before she sighed contentedly and pulled his face back to hers. This was the most fun she'd had in a _very_ long time.

It was nearly eight in the morning by the time Nate was finally able to pull himself away from Ella and walk out the door. She walked down the stairs with him and pulled him to her for one last lingering kiss before they both headed their separate ways. Nate headed to his car so he could go home and get ready and Ella made her way down the street to Connie's Café for a quick breakfast. She turned and she reached the door and watched Nate pull away with a large dreamy smile. Her phone beeped as she turned and opened the door and she eagerly checked it.

"_Don't make plans with anyone else for dinner. I'm picking you up at seven."_

Ella blushed and smiled brightly as she responded.

"_I'll be ready and waiting, Maestro."_

She sighed happily and loudly as she pushed open the door to the Café and Connie spotted her with a grin.

"Why, Ella, I think you're glowing," Connie said with a smirk.

Ella blushed even more and nodded. "I think I just might be."

"So, what can I get you?" Connie asked.

"Um, the breakfast sampler if you don't mind," Ella said as she pulled her wallet out of her purse. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, I bet so," a voice said from the corner of the café. "If that was indeed _Nate_ I just saw leaving. You probably worked up a pretty big appetite."

Ella slowly turned and nearly died of embarrassment when she spotted Caitlyn _but_ she was determined that no one and nothing was going to harsh her afterglow. Last night and this morning had been _far too perfect_ for that to happen. "Good morning, Caitlyn," Ella said brightly. "How are you this beautiful morning?"

Caitlyn quirked a brow at her and chuckled. "Clearly not as good as _you_. You're practically radioactive at the moment."

Ella cleared her throat and tried desperately _not_ to smile, but she just couldn't resist. "I know. Isn't it wonderful?"

Connie grinned at the both of them. "Well, since you're both here you might as well eat together. Your food will be out in just a moment."

"Oh, no," Ella said quickly. "That's okay—"

"Yeah, Mrs. Torres, it's fine. Really—"

"No," Connie said sternly. "Ella, _sit_. You two need to talk. You should be friends – and don't argue with me. I'm always right."

And with that Connie pointed to the empty chair at Caitlyn's table and then turned and left.

"If I don't sit there she won't feed me," Ella told Caitlyn apologetically.

"Or me," Caitlyn agreed before she motioned to the chair. "Please, join me for breakfast. So that Connie will actually let me eat it."

Ella sat down and hung her purse on the back of her chair. Ella took in Caitlyn's skinny jeans, graphic t-shirt, blazer, and converses and realized for the first time just _how_ different they were. "So, um, what are you up to today?"

"Day off," Caitlyn told her. "I've got to go shopping."

Ella smiled brightly. "I love shopping."

Caitlyn chuckled and spoke up sarcastically. "I never would have guessed."

"What are you going shopping for?" Ella asked.

"A bathing suit," Caitlyn mumbled. "I hate shopping for bathing suits."

Caitlyn's phone vibrated against the table and her eyes widened when she read the message that she'd received.

"_Hey, Caity, I was thinking I'd cash in on the bet tonight. Are you in?"_

"And apparently I have to find one in the next several hours," Caitlyn said with a pathetic groan. "That's not enough time to be as picky as I am about my swimsuits. This is impossible."

Ella's eyes twinkled and she grinned. "Nothing is impossible. I think I have an idea. Why don't you come with me to the shop after we finish breakfast?"

Her brow furrowed. "Why? You don't sell swimwear."

"No, but I do have my connections. I can have one stop shopping delivered _to you_, Caitlyn, my dear," Ella said with a smile. "Let me guess, this has something to do with Jason?"

"This is me we're talking about," Caitlyn said with a sigh as she typed out a response to Jason's text. "It's _always_ about Jason."

* * *

"_I'm in. What time?"_

Jason grinned brightly and sent back a message about what time he would pick her up. He was probably far too excited about a potential evening with _his friend_ Caitlyn. He was currently waiting outside Brown's office for some sort of mystery meeting. It was Caitlyn's day off and he was definitely feeling the absence of her presence and _that's _why he felt like he needed to see her tonight. He missed her.

Brown's office door opened and his uncle motioned him inside. "Come on in, Jason. I want your opinion on something."

Jason nodded and followed his uncle inside. His brow furrowed when he saw Axel sitting in front of Brown's desk. Brown closed the door behind them and motioned for Jason to take the other chair.

"What's going on?" Jason asked warily.

Brown chuckled. "Relax, Jason. Nothing tragic. We just want to know what you think about something."

"What's _he_ doing here?" Jason asked as he eyed Axel.

"_He_ just told me he was very impressed with the job Caitlyn did on Luke Williams' latest track," Brown said with a smirk. Jason's loyalty to him over Axel would always feel good.

Jason beamed at them both. "Yeah? Really?"

"It's a very innovative sound, and I think she's made a mediocre song single-worthy," Axel said honestly. "I was hoping Brown would let me hire her full time."

Jason blinked at him. "What?" He was trying to steal Caitlyn from them.

"I want to see what else she can do," Axel said. "I've come to ask if Brown will let me have her."

"Ask?" Jason said. "Since when do you ask?"

"Since its Caitlyn," Axel told him. "I've worked with her enough to know that she's _fiercely_ loyal. She won't work for me unless she knows she has Brown's blessing."

Jason gave his uncle a frantic look. "You're not going to give it, are you?"

"That's what I want your opinion on. You know Caitlyn the best," Brown said with a warm smile. "What would she want?"

"I think she'd rather produce for your artists, Uncle Brown," Jason said honestly. "She _likes_ working _for you_."

Brown nodded. "That's what I wanted to know." He turned and smiled victoriously at Axel. "While I appreciate your attempt to be polite, Axel, I'm going to have to say no. You do not have my blessing to hire or make an offer to Caitlyn."

Axel glared at Brown and huffed. "Fine, have it your way. But you're going to waste that girl's talent."

And with that Axel stormed out of Brown's office and left Jason and Brown to roll their eyes and grin in amusement.

"Well, that was oddly satisfying," Brown said with a smirk.

"Can I go now?" Jason asked.

"Actually, I'd like to talk about Caitlyn a little bit more," Brown said honestly. "What do _you_ think I should do?"

"Well, last time we talked about it she didn't seem so sure she was enjoying it," Jason told him. "So maybe you could let her _try_ it for a while? That way she can see how she feels about it."

Brown nodded and smiled. "Yes, I like that. A probationary period. Thank you, Jason."

"Do you, um, do you mind if I tell her?" Jason asked with a grin. "I'm seeing her tonight and I'd really like to give her the good news."

Brown smiled fondly at his nephew and nodded. "I think that would be alright, mate. She probably should hear it from you."

"Thanks, Uncle Brown!" Jason said brightly. "Who are you going to have her produce for first?"

Brown glanced down at his desk calendar and glared thoughtfully. "Well, it looks like Lola Scott has a few tracks that need to be recorded and I think Caitlyn would be a good fit for her."

"You've probably just made Caitlyn's lifetime, you know," Jason said as he pulled out his phone and texted Caitlyn again. After this he just _knew_ tonight was going to be amazing.

* * *

"_So, I've got some pretty big news to share with you tonight. You're probably going to love me and Brown forever after I tell you."_

Caitlyn's brow furrowed as she stared at the text. "What the hell does that mean? I'm not good with surprises, Jason. You know this."

"Surprises?" Ella asked brightly. "I love surprises."

Caitlyn grinned at her. "Of course you do. You realize that we're almost complete opposites, right?"

"Yes, that's one of the first things I realized about the two of us," Ella said with a smile as she took the final bite of her pancakes. "But that could be a good thing, I guess."

"How so?" Caitlyn asked.

"Well, my mother would have said something about how we could help each other grow as people or something," Ella said with a fond smile. "She was always throwing out bits of wisdom like that."

Caitlyn nodded and picked up a slice of bacon. "She sounds very smart. I was lucky _my mother_ had the time to tell me what the hell was going on with me when I started my period. Granted she had to do so via postcard but at least she found the time."

"Sounds like my dad," Ella said with an understanding sigh.

"My dad was totally there for me," Caitlyn said with a soft smile. "I'm a daddy's girl all the way."

"Must be nice," Ella said with a sad smile.

"It is," Caitlyn told her. "But I bet being close to your mother is nice too."

"It…_was_," Ella said as she took a sip of her tea. "She's, um, no longer with us."

Caitlyn's eyes widened and she winced. "Oh! I—I'm sorry. I should have caught on to the past tense earlier. I…I didn't mean to be insensitive."

But that seemed to always be the case when it came to friendships with girls, Caitlyn thought. She was lucky that Dana was so understanding or else she wouldn't have _any_ female friends.

"It's okay, really," Ella assured her. "It was a while ago. I didn't take that as insensitive. I promise."

"So," Caitlyn said as she cleared her throat. "Your family is—"

"Pretty much non-existent," Ella said plainly. "But I'm used to it. You don't need to feel bad for me."

"I don't feel bad for you," Caitlyn said honestly. "I…am a little sad, though. I can't imagine not having any family to spend time with or visit."

Ella bit her bottom lip and shrugged. "I've spent the holidays the last few years with Connie and Mitchie. They're pretty close to family to me now."

"Yeah, but you've got to miss it," Caitlyn said with a furrowed brow. "Right?"

Ella nodded. "Of course I do. But I know it's not gone forever. Eventually I'll have a family of my own and that warm familiar feeling will be back."

"But _how_ do you know that?" Caitlyn asked.

Ella smiled softly. "I don't _know_ really. I just…have faith."

"That's easier said than done," Caitlyn said with a sigh as she sipped her coffee.

"You just need someone to have faith _in_, Caitlyn. Once you find that you'll be all set," Ella said with a kind smile.

"Who do you have faith in?" Caitlyn asked curiously.

"My mother," Ella admitted. "Her life wasn't perfect but she still made a family for herself. She had love and success in her own way. If it worked out for her then it can work out for me."

Caitlyn bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I understand."

Ella shrugged and offered Caitlyn her grits. "You will. Eventually."

Caitlyn took the small bowl from her and piled butter in it. "I wish I could be as sure as you seem to be."

Ella gathered her plates on her tray and then smiled encouragingly at her new friend. "Maybe that's why you have me."

"Why's that?" Caitlyn asked as she finished off her grits.

"So I can be sure enough for the both of us," Ella said with a wink. She left Caitlyn at the table and ordered another hot tea from Connie.

That was an interesting idea. Maybe being friends with someone so different _would_ be good for her. Ella was the optimist to Caitlyn's pessimist. She thought life had a plan and that everyone had a destiny while Caitlyn thought life was something you worked at and stressed over. She decided she was going to give Ella a real chance to be her friend. If Ella could get over the way they met then Caitlyn was willing to bet she was worth friendship.

"So," Ella said as she came back to the table. "Are you ready to shop Ella style?"

"What does that mean?" Caitlyn asked fearfully.

"That means the stores bring the merchandise _to you_," Ella said with a smirk. "You'll see what I mean. I'm gonna go make some phone calls but meet me in front of the shop when you're done, okay?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Okay." She paused as Ella started to walk away and then spoke up as the door opened. "Hey, Ella?"

"Yeah?" Ella asked with a smile.

"Thanks," Caitlyn told her. "I mean it. Thank you for everything."

Ella smiled softly and nodded. "Any friend of Nate's is a friend of mine. It's my pleasure."


	15. Chapter 15

Working Girls

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

"_What kind of news Jason? You know I don't like surprises."_

Jason chuckled and ignored Caitlyn's text. If he answered that he might as well just tell her now, and he _refused_ to tell her via text. This news was too big for her for that.

He walked into the studio and smiled at Mitchie, Tess, and Shane in acknowledgement.

"There you are, dude. Where's Nate?" Shane asked.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know."

"Where were you?"

"Brown's office. He wanted to ask me something."

"So, Tess was on time and Nate is late? Is this the Twilight Zone? Did we somehow cross into an alternate universe?" Shane asked in disbelief. "Nate's never late."

Tess rolled her eyes. "I don't always have to be late, you know."

"And yet you are," Shane said with a smirk. "Or are you just late when it involves me? Because that would make sense."

Tess glared at him and spoke up dryly. "Yes, that's it. Coming in late is my petty way of getting revenge. I know how much tardiness hurts you, Shane."

Mitchie chuckled and hid her grin with her hand. Tess and Shane may hate each other but they sure were funny.

Shane quirked a brow at her. "Something funny?"

"Yes," Mitchie told him. "You. And Tess."

"Why is this funny?" Shane asked.

"Do you think all of your exes are out for revenge?" Mitchie asked. "Cause if that's the case you must be awfully paranoid."

Tess smirked at Shane and chuckled at his shocked expression. He gulped and then looked at Mitchie questioningly. Mitchie nearly shuddered. It was almost like he was looking straight through her.

"She—she told you?" Shane asked worriedly.

Mitchie bit her bottom lip and looked down at the floor before she answered him. "She did."

Jason gave his brother a sympathetic look before he turned to Tess. "Hey, Tess, can I, uh, talk to you out in the hall for a minute?"

She gave the oldest Gray brother a suspicious look. "Why?"

"I, um, want to know what brand water you think we should tell Brown to stock the studio fridge with tomorrow…yeah. And, um, it's our cousin's birthday! And he's a big fan! I was hoping I could talk you into…uh, calling him?"

Shane smirked at his brother and nodded gratefully as he led Tess out of the studio. It was a flimsy lie but Tess would do anything for someone she _knew_ loved her. Shane watched the door close before he turned back to Mitchie.

"Did you like the flowers?" Shane asked hesitantly.

"They were gorgeous," Mitchie said with a small smile.

"And the chocolates?"

Mitchie bit her bottom lip and winced. "I, um, I threw them out."

Shane looked hurt for a split second but nodded anyway. "Not a fan of chocolate?"

"Oh, I…I love chocolate but they came right as Tess told me about…_you know_. And it just felt…_strange_ to keep them," Mitchie said honestly.

Shane glanced at her fearfully. "Did you keep the flowers?"

She nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "They're on my nightstand."

He smiled weakly. That gave him _some_ hope that Tess hadn't ruined everything. "Look I know that with all you've heard you probably think I'm the scum of the earth, but…you haven't heard my side yet. Do you think you could…let me explain?"

She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before she answered. "Yes."

"Over dinner?" Shane asked hopefully.

"How about drinks instead?" Mitchie asked.

He nodded. "I could do drinks. Do you want me to pick you up or meet you?"

"Why don't we just go after work?" Mitchie suggested. "Tess is done for the day after we finish recording."

Shane gulped nervously. That was sooner than he expected. "Um, yeah. Yeah, we can do that."

"Okay, great. It's a da—um, it's a plan," Mitchie stuttered. What had she almost said? She ran a hand through her hair and hoped her cheeks weren't as red as she thought they were.

Shane smiled at her in amusement. "Yes, it's a _plan_."

She laughed softly and met his eyes. They were warm and kind and not at all the eyes of someone who couldn't handle commitment. And again, she was hit with confused thoughts. What she knew of him and what she _heard_ of him were so different. "I'm looking forward to it."

Shane nodded and grinned at her. "Me too."

The door to the studio opened and Nate suddenly strolled in. He smiled brightly at the two of them and set his bag down in a chair. "Good morning."

"You're chipper for someone who's nearly a half hour late," Shane said observantly.

"Trust me, brother, it was _well_ worth it," Nate said with a grin. "Good morning, Mitchie. How are you?"

Mitchie smiled at him with amused eyes. "I'm great. How are you?"

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Nate said with a smile and a soft laugh. "Never been better actually."

Mitchie and Shane shared a confused look before she spoke again. "Um, well, I'm…_happy_ for you?"

"Me too," Nate said as he unpacked his lap top.

Shane quirked a brow at him. "You're happy for yourself?"

"Yes, I am," Nate said honestly. "And I haven't been happy for myself in a really long time so I think I deserve to be. Don't you?"

Shane smiled at his brother and chuckled as he clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Yeah, I do, man. I really do."

Mitchie took that opportunity to text Ella. Something had happened and Mitchie hadn't been filled in yet.

"_Um, I have drinks with Shane tonight. I'm insane right? I totally shouldn't be doing this. Btw what the heck went down with Nate last night? He's smiling so much you'd think he'd slept with a hanger in his mouth."_

* * *

Ella giggled and blushed as she checked her text messages.

"What?" Caitlyn asked as she set her things down in Ella's back room.

"Mitchie just texted me. It seems Nate's in an unusually good mood and she wants to know why," Ella said gleefully.

Caitlyn sighed as she sat down in a chair. "I have to admit something to you, Ella."

"What's that?" She asked.

"I'm jealous of you."

Ella's brow furrowed. "What? Why?"

"You've gotten farther with Nate in one week than I've gotten with Jason in _years_," Caitlyn said twirled a fly away hair around her finger. "And every time I hear Nate talk about you I can't help but wonder what the hell I'm doing wrong."

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong," Ella told her. "Well, apart from not telling Jason how you feel about him, that is."

The delivery bell rang at the back door and Ella rushed to get the key and answer it. Caitlyn thought about Ella's words as she disarmed the door and opened it to allow whoever it was inside. Caitlyn smiled weakly at the three people who entered as they each set down bundle after bundle of items. Ella talked to each of them a bit and kissed the two guys on the cheek. Ella finally pulled them over to Caitlyn and introduced them one by one.

"This is my friend Cailtyn," Ella said as she motioned to her new friend. "Caitlyn, this is Brian, Josh, and Millie. Josh owns a surf shop near the beach, Brian runs a cosmetic boutique on Rodeo, and Millie owns an adorable indie-vintage clothing store near Venice Beach. I went to school with Millie and Brian and Josh is an old friend."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Caitlyn said with a nod. "So, what did you guys bring me?"

"Lots of good stuff," Brian said with a grin as he ran a hand over his jet black mohawk. "Perfumes, shampoos, eye shadows, nail polish, the works. We're going to vamp you just a bit."

Caitlyn spotted the rainbow eye shadow and thick liner around his eyes and realized that if anyone was going to help _her_ with make up then it would probably be Brian. But the word "vamp" still scared her. "Vamp?"

Josh chuckled and crossed his muscular arms across his well sculpted chest and Caitlyn gulped as she briefly looked him up and down. He was very attractive. Definitely a beach guy.

Caitlyn smirked at him. "What about you, Vin Diesel?"

"Swimsuits, cover ups, sandals. All things skimpy and made for getting wet," Josh said with a wink.

Ella smacked his shoulder and glared at him. "Stop flirting."

Caitlyn grinned and then turned to Millie. She was shorter than Ella and her skin was so fair it was practically transparent. Her hair was in a cute golden blonde pixie cut and her dress had a modest boat neck and a very full skirt. The rhinestones on her braided head wrap sparkled as she smiled at Caitlyn and ducked her head into the large box she brought with her. "I brought Dresses," Millie said simply. "Lots of cute dresses and shoes."

Caitlyn quirked a brow at Millie and then turned to look at Ella. "Dresses? I don't know about wearing a dress to a casual dinner at Jason's _house_."

"Nothing fancy," Ella told her quickly with a wink. "Just a cute casual day dress. Trust me. And?" Ella asked Millie pointedly. "What else did you bring?"

Millie laughed softly and shook her head at Ella. "Power panties. I brought power panties."

Caitlyn paled as she spoke. "Power…panties? Ella, I'm scared."

"Relax," Ella said with a soft laugh. "It's just lingerie that you wear when you need to feel sexy. It's not anything freaky."

"Oh God," Caitlyn said with a huff. "I bet this is what Gracie Hart felt like in _Miss Congeniality_."

Ella rolled her eyes and smirked. "Stop being over dramatic. You don't have to wear anything you're not comfortable in. I just think…you should keep your options open. Besides, I can't tell you why I think this, but I have this strange feeling that Jason is a leg man and the right dress will absolutely _kill_ him."

Caitlyn's eyes widened with interest and she grinned. "You think?"

"Oh, honey," Brain said as he threw an arm around Caitlyn's shoulders. "Ella's instincts about clothes are _always_ right. She doesn't think. She _knows_."

Millie nodded in agreement. "It's truly freaky."

"I only sell the swimsuits she approves," Josh admitted. "I tried to sell one she didn't a couple summers ago. Man, did I _eat_ a bunch of my profits that year."

"Alright, so," Ella said with a smile. "Thank you guys for bringing all of this down here, and I'll let you guys get back to work. I'll bring this stuff back to you tomorrow. Caitlyn and I are going to dig through it and find a few great things for her."

Brian quirked a brow at Ella. "El, why do you look so…_glowy_?"

Josh squinted at her suspiciously and then nodded his agreement. "You are awfully…_luminous_ this morning."

Millie chuckled and grinned. "You totally had sex."

Ella's eyes widened and she blushed. "_Okay_, I think it's time for you guys to go."

"Oh, she did!" Brian exclaimed. "Wow, no wonder she's glowing she hasn't had a date let alone spent the night with a guy in _years_."

Ella closed her eyes tight and tried to ignore them. "Gee, thanks guys. Let's just announce _that_ to the world."

"Who is he? Do we know him?" Josh asked.

"No, you don't know him and…I'm not telling you. I want to keep him to myself for a bit. You guys will jump on him like a pack of wild dogs," Ella told them as she rolled her eyes. "Now get out of here. Caitlyn and I have work to do."

"Okay, okay," Millie said as she motioned for the guys to leave first. "But you will fill us in eventually, right?"

Ella nodded. "Yes, _eventually_."

"It was nice to meet you, Caitlyn," Josh said as he leaned forward and kissed the back of Caitlyn's hand. "Maybe you can send me a picture of the final swimsuit decis—_ow!_" Josh paused and rubbed his arm where Ella had punched him. "What? She's hot!"

Ella glared at him and shoved him toward the door. "Stop flirting with her. She's getting ready for a _date_, you jerk."

"You can't blame a guy for trying," Josh said with a huff.

"It's not _really_ a date," Caitlyn said as she corrected Ella.

"What are you doing?" Ella asked with a laugh. "I'm trying to get him to _stop_ hitting on you."

"Caitlyn, take it from me," Brian said with a wink as he headed to the door. "It may not be a date now but by the time Ella gets through with you it _will_ be. I have a sneaking suspicion she was a fairy godmother in another life."

Caitlyn laughed and nodded. "Right, thanks for the warning." Ella was practically shoving them through the back delivery entrance and Caitlyn called after them. "Thanks, you guys! It was great to meet all of you!"

"You too!" Millie said with a smile and a wink. "And never fear the Power Panties. They're your best friend."

Ella sighed in relief as the door closed behind them. "I apologize for my insane friends. They're kind of obnoxious."

Caitlyn laughed. "I didn't think so. I think they're fun."

"They are," Ella told her. "_Most_ of the time."

"By the way," Caitlyn said as she opened one box. "I appreciate you not bragging about Nate. It's nice to see girls who don't really care about their celebrity status."

"Considering I've never really heard their music before he's not much of a celebrity to me," Ella said with a bashful smile. "He's just…_Nate_. And I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I can."

Caitlyn smiled softly at her as she pulled out a dress. "And now I get why he likes you so much."

"You do?"

Caitlyn nodded. "You're sweet, modest, talented, and you _think_ he's normal. Yep, I totally understand why he's head over heels."

Ella chuckled. "Are you saying he's _not_ normal?"

"He's as normal as a record breaking musical artist, producer, and song writer can be, I guess," Caitlyn told her honestly. "But he's not _completely_ normal. He can't be."

"What do you think of this one?" Ella asked as she held up a dress.

Caitlyn squinted at it and then shook her head. "No, too pink."

"Too bright or too soft?" Ella asked.

"Neither. Just too _pink_."

Ella laughed. "Ah, I see. No pink. Got it."

"I like yellows, and I know Jason's favorite color is green."

"Okay, how about you go through these and narrow them down? Pick out the ones you like," Ella told her. "I'm going to go work on some alterations. Let me know when you've narrowed it down."

"Narrowed it down to how many?" Caitlyn asked as she watched Ella's speeding fingers type out a text.

"Um, anywhere between five and ten," Ella told her as she put the phone away. "How does that sound?"

Caitlyn nodded. "I can do that."

"Alright," Ella said. "Have fun!"

* * *

"_Um, well, I don't think he slept with a hanger in his mouth. In fact, I don't think he did much sleeping at all. If you know what I mean. So, is drinks with Shane a date?"_

Mitchie's eyes widened and she smiled brightly. Go Ella. Mitchie looked up at Nate and how purely happy he looked and knew Ella had to be wearing that exact same smile today. Mitchie started to type a response when she overheard Shane and Nate talking.

"Did you e-mail Devonne last night?"

"No, I chickened out. I don't want to sound like a stalker, you know?"

Guilt grew in the pit of Mitchie's stomach. It felt heavy and empty all at once. She'd almost forgotten about Devonne. Was she seriously going to go through with this? Was she going to deceive Shane who'd been nothing but wonderful to her because of some ridiculous _rumors_?

_No._ She wasn't. She _wouldn't_.

"Okay, guys, I think that's lunch," Nate said as Tess finished a verse.

There was a knock at the door and Brown quickly answered.

"The light went off right? That means I can knock?"

Mitchie sat up straight as she heard the voice and leaned over from her seat to get a look at the doorway. "Mom?"

Connie pushed passed Brown and immediately hugged her daughter. "Hey, sweetie! I brought lunch for you and your friends. I hope you're all hungry."

Shane smiled in amusement at Mitchie's mom and the huge bag of food she held in her hands. He stepped up and flashed her a charming smile. "Hi, Mrs. Torres. I'm Shane. Let me take that for you."

"Oh thank you, aren't you polite," Connie said in an impressed tone. She pointed to Shane and then mouthed 'He's cute' to Mitchie. Mitchie blushed and ducked her head.

She really hoped no one saw that.

"Hi, Mrs. Torres," Jason said as he waved to her.

She smiled at him and then at Nate as well. "Good afternoon, boys. So, Nate, how did Ella like that dinner last night?"

Nate blushed and scratched behind his ear nervously. "Um, it was…it was a hit, Mrs. Torres. A very big hit."

Shane gave his brother a surprised look and laughed loudly. "Oh, _now_ I get why you've been in such a good mood today."

"Hi, Mrs. Torres I'm—"

"Tess Tyler," Connie said with a nod. "I know. I've always been a big fan of your mother's."

Tess forced a smile. "She'll be very happy to hear that."

Mitchie bit back a sigh. Tess hated it when the first thing people said to her was about _her mother_.

"So," Brown said from his spot near the doorway. "You're the famous Connie Torres of Connie's Café?"

Connie turned and grinned at Brown. "And you are Brown Cesario. My one and only _standing_ lunch order." She patted the bag she brought and winked at him. "Don't worry, your lunch is in here too."

"Why don't we all eat outside today?" Brown suggested. "There's picnic tables on the patio roof. Some sunshine might do our creative juices some good, yeah?"

Connie leaned toward Mitchie and whispered with a smirk. "Oh, I do love that accent. It's sexy."

Mitchie's eyes widened just before she closed them tightly. "Gross. Mom, don't say the word sexy _ever again_."

"What? He _is_," Connie said with a quiet chuckle. "He's the only man I've seen who's my age and can pull off _those_ jeans."

"_Mom!"_ Mitchie said in a loud whisper. "I do not want to hear this."

"This was a good idea," Connie said with a grin as she watched Brown lead the way out of the studio. "I should come have lunch with you kids more often."

"Next time maybe you could save the flirting and comments about Brown's _jeans_ for when I'm _not_ around to hear it?" Mitchie asked quietly.

"I'm not allowed to flirt?" Connie asked. "I'm divorced and single. Why can't I?"

"I didn't say you _couldn't_," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "Just not around me. Deal?"

Connie sighed but then quickly turned an amused smile on her daughter. "Deal. I'll save the flirting for when I'm out of earshot."

"Thank you," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"Shane is a cutie, and polite too. Did you thank him for the flowers?" Connie asked.

"Not really. Not yet," Mitchie told her. "But I will tonight."

"Tonight?" Connie asked curiously.

Mitchie grinned and nodded. "We're getting drinks after work."

"If you order a margarita watch the salt on the rim of the glass. The first time I ordered one when I was younger I had salt on my nose for the rest of the night, and my date had too much fun being amused to tell me," Connie told her. "And have fun, but don't get too crazy. Clear?"

Mitchie chuckled and nodded as she linked her arm through her mother's. "Yes, ma'am."


End file.
